Euphemism
Definition:
Euphemism is often used by propagandist to obscure an unpleasant reality by using excessive amounts of dull words to mitigate the unpleasantness of the situation. For example, the words “strategic misinterpretations” is often used to replace the common, and usually negative word “lies” while “ethnic cleansing” is used in replacement for “racial genocide.”
Euphemism is often used by propagandist to obscure an unpleasant reality by using excessive amounts of dull words to mitigate the unpleasantness of the situation. For example, the words “strategic misinterpretations” is often used to replace the common, and usually negative word “lies” while “ethnic cleansing” is used in replacement for “racial genocide.”
Analysis:
War is not a wonderful opportunity. Its bloody. Its cruel. Its devastating. And yet, the United States Navy portrays joining the Navy and joining the Second World War as a “wonderful opportunity.” A soldier stuck on a battleship, surrounded by exploding shells and screaming sailors would not think the United States Navy as a “wonderful opportunity.” A soldier surrounded by vast expanses of water, floating aimlessly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with debris from his destroyed ship would not regard the United States Navy as a “wonderful opportunity” but rather, a dumb way to die. But portraying war as real as possible would surely discourage future enlistees, preventing the Navy from being able to replace its dead soldiers with fresh, new ones. Therefore, the propagandist uses euphemism and portrays the Navy and the Second World War as something positive by using the slogan, “A wonderful opportunity for you” and illustrating a smiling sailor who seems to be happy to join the Navy. The propagandist also uses different shades of orange to color in the background and the still battleships, creating a mood of happiness that associates with joining the Navy. The propagandist attempts to show the audience that the Navy is a “wonderful opportunity” in order to encourage Americans to enlist and figure out for themselves that this opportunity was in fact a “wonderful opportunity to die.”
War is not a wonderful opportunity. Its bloody. Its cruel. Its devastating. And yet, the United States Navy portrays joining the Navy and joining the Second World War as a “wonderful opportunity.” A soldier stuck on a battleship, surrounded by exploding shells and screaming sailors would not think the United States Navy as a “wonderful opportunity.” A soldier surrounded by vast expanses of water, floating aimlessly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with debris from his destroyed ship would not regard the United States Navy as a “wonderful opportunity” but rather, a dumb way to die. But portraying war as real as possible would surely discourage future enlistees, preventing the Navy from being able to replace its dead soldiers with fresh, new ones. Therefore, the propagandist uses euphemism and portrays the Navy and the Second World War as something positive by using the slogan, “A wonderful opportunity for you” and illustrating a smiling sailor who seems to be happy to join the Navy. The propagandist also uses different shades of orange to color in the background and the still battleships, creating a mood of happiness that associates with joining the Navy. The propagandist attempts to show the audience that the Navy is a “wonderful opportunity” in order to encourage Americans to enlist and figure out for themselves that this opportunity was in fact a “wonderful opportunity to die.”