The five images of women show a mayor, a nurse, a mother, a doctor or a teacher and a factory hand. And the five images of men show a convict, a lunatic, a prospector of white slaves, an unfit for service and finally a drunkard. The point of putting all of these images is to point out that if women became all of these things they would be contributing to their country. In the poster it shows an image of a female mayor, she could contribute by being in charge in the running of a town and sort out convicts. A nurse could take care of the lunatics, a mother who looks after her children and her home but gets treated badly by her drunkard husband, a doctor who could look after an unfit person and finally a factory hand that gets treated badly by the person who is in charge of them while they work hard. All of these women could become all of these things and make a difference to the country but they do not have the vote.
The suffragettes used this poster as a peaceful way of protesting. I would have the vote for women so instead of the country being harmful for having the wrong people to have the vote when some of them aren’t contributing towards their country, women having the vote could make it a better place.
The other part of the poster quotes ‘what a man may have been and yet not lose the vote’. This part is highlighting that not all men are Mayors, and Teachers, but that some of the male race are convicts, lunatics, Proprietor of white slaves and drunkards.
A man in 1912 may have been a ‘convict‘, but even though he has broken the law, and may beat up his wife and not be committed to his family, he still gets the votes. This is a comparison to the mayor because she makes the laws and the convict is breaking the law, she has the power to put him behind bars, but even though she is higher than him, she still can’t vote and he still can.
The lunatic is next, he is similar to the nurse and doctor because he is unwell and needs medical help, and does not contribute much to the community or benefit anyone else, while the nurse/ doctor can make him better and still not get the vote.
The Proprietor of white slaves does not work hard and treats his worker who is a majority of the white race like slaves and pays them little by little.
The next picture is of a soldier who is not well and unfit for service. This picture shows that this man cannot fight or defend his country, while a woman who has the power to make him better like a doctor/ teacher can’t vote and he can.
The very last photo is of a drunkard, who is lazy and doesn’t contribute to helping himself or his family and does not take responsibility for his family unlike the mother who takes care of her children and supports her family unlike her husband who takes the money the family earn and gets drunk, but somehow he can vote and she can’t.
Overall, the poster is criticizing the law, because they are not respecting women by giving them the vote, while a nurse and factory-hand cannot. The law is unfair, and unequal. The law is ridiculous and this is why the suffragettes are demanding changes.
