There is a massive amount of information being presented so it has been arranged based on importance. The more important information is large, the least important is nearly impossible to read from a distance. The eagle is used to represent the Union and the pointing finger immediately draws the viewer's eye to the most important information at the top of the poster.
Rather than providing extensive information, the designers instead appeal to the viewer's emotions and gives them a direct link to who they should help on the homefront, even if they do not fully understand the situation the war has created.
Most posters in the United States during the war were meant to target non-combatants who included mothers and daughters, older men who could not fight, and small children. Showing what the public believed was the most important aspect of living and winning the war was an integral part in gaining the support of those who remained at home.
In the Public Eye
Government Posters: Design at the time
