What first comes to mind when you hear the phrase “Space Race”? Perhaps you think of the optimism of the 1960s, perhaps you think of the lack of interest in current space ventures, or perhaps the cold war tensions between the Soviets and Americans comes to mind. In this blog, we will focus our discussion on the international tensions present between the Soviet Union and the United States, specifically, the competition for supremacy in spaceflight capability.
As English 101H students at the University of Maryland who have a shared interest in the field of engineering, we were drawn to the Space Race not only because it was a revolutionary movement in the scientific field, but also because it would expand our knowledge of the political aspects of space ventures. We chose these two pieces of propaganda because they offered starkly different perspectives on each nation’s incentive for competing in the Space Race.
We analyzed each of the rhetorical appeals individually at first, in order to delve into the complexities of the messages in each respective text. Firstly, we considered each artist’s appeal to pathos, as it creates the strongest reaction in the viewer. The viewer immediately forms potent feelings upon seeing these pictures, which then fuels his/her thoughts on the pictures’ messages. After examining the emotional appeal of each picture, we then analyzed the pictures’ relevance to history. This way, the viewer first develops his/her own opinion about the picture, and then supplements his/her opinion with the historical context behind the image. Since the viewer does not immediately notice how the composition, color scheme, and use of language contribute to the pictures’ messages, we decided to analyze the style of the propaganda towards the end of our blog. To conclude our blog, after having considered the impact of all the individual rhetorical appeals, we determined the major arguments of each picture utilizing Stasis Theory. This order of analysis allowed us to develop conclusions on the relationship between the two pieces of propaganda in a logical manner.
The two unique pieces of propaganda from the 1960s depict the contrasting viewpoints of the Americans and the Soviets in the Space Race, as a result of the Cold War. While the Soviet propaganda is celebratory and focused on inspiring nationalism through the use of warm hues and hopeful images of the youth, the American propaganda is competitive and focused on dominating the Soviets through the use of harsh, bright hues and callous astronauts. Thus, the United States and the Soviet Union utilized different methods of engaging citizens in the Space Race; the United States aggressively showcased their dominance in international affairs, while the communists sought to inspire the younger generations toward scientific innovation.
The political competition created by the Cold War spurred widespread technological and scientific advances; however, today, Americans are not nearly as captivated by space ventures as are other nations. Because history is known to repeat itself, perhaps the future may include another space race, as we know very little about our own galaxy, let alone the entire universe. Currently, China, India, Japan, and Russia are leading another leg of the Space Race through lunar missions and even missions to Mars. Thus, we should continue to embrace the spirit of discovery and wonder present in the 1960s Space Race in our further voyages to space, despite the lack of competition in solar system exploration.
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