Week 3, Chapter 2, When You Come Home

Greetings,

I have chosen to respond to the second question. Namely, "To whom is the ad directed? What emotions does it play on? Be sure to provide evidence for your answers. What are the "dearest possessions" the ad refers to?"

Upon first glance, this advertisement appears to be directed toward housewives and stay-at-home mothers who may have encountered it in a magazine or something while their husbands were at work. I can only speculate given the historical context that since this advertisement was made in 1914 that the men were working extremely long and hard hours, so they probably would not have had very much time to devote toward reading. However, it is also worth noting that both of the adults are depicted as being immaculately dressed and in an extremely spacious home at that. This was not the reality for the average person at the time at all. From what I learned in one of my history classes a few semesters go, the majority of people at this time were very poor, forced to work long and dangerous hours in grueling working class occupations, and living in crowded, abysmal conditions.

These factors combined with the title, "When You Come Home," leads me to believe that this advertisement was specifically directed toward wealthier couples who could afford to dress nice, live in a spacious home, and be able to go out every night while their children are presumably left under the care of a nanny. The second chapter of the book defines connotation as "the feeling that the advertiser wishes to associate with the product," (158). With the image of children and fire in the upper right corner of the advertisement, it is safe to assume that the feeling this advertisement is trying to sell is that of safety itself. It is preying upon every parent's fear of losing their children - in this specific instance, to that of a fire.

Upon closer inspection of the upper right corner, the woman using the extinguisher appears to be the wife herself and not a nanny. I am beginning to question whether or not this advertisement was truly made for upper class wealthier people even in light of all the other historically inconsistent factors like their spacious home and nice clothing. This could possible be an example of what the book defines as the commodification of desire, "In other words, desire itself becomes the product that the advertiser is selling," (161). That is, it is possible that this advertisement is trying to sell the image of wealth and prosperity to the struggling working class masses at the time.

There are honestly so many possible angles for this advertisement and arguments that could be made, but in conclusion, I still stand by my answer that the dearest possessions are the children and that it plays upon a parent's fear of losing their children. To whom the ad is directed to is where I am still a bit confused.

James.