Flappers Thesis

The flapper represented the “modern woman” in American youth culture in the 1920’s, and was epitomized as an icon of rebellion and modernity. Precocious, young, stubborn, beautiful, sexual, and independent, the flapper image and ideology revolutionized girlhood. The term “flapper” originated in England to describe a girl who flapped and had not yet reached maturity. Middle-class, white, adolescent girls embraced the symbol of the flapper and the development of change and innovation. It is important to note not all young women embraced the flapper’s rebellious movement and adhered to traditional pre-World War I morals and values. Young women who joined the flapper movement would no longer abide by pre-conceived conventional expectations

The 1920s was a time of development for America as a whole; the Progressive Era was in full swing due to the rapid American Industrialization and the change in traditional thought processes. Progressive reformers at this point in history were working towards familiarizing the nation with new beliefs, contrary to those of traditional ways of life. The newfound concept of progressivism was perpetuated due to the increase of media throughout the country - it was stated that, “The 1920s was a decade of change, when many Americans owned cars, radios, and telephones for the first time,” (“1920s: A Decade of Change”). The sources of media were expanding, thus the reach of media and news was able to spread nationwide - people from all over the country

In the 1920’s there were a few revolutions, but none as everlasting as the female revolution that was the flapper. It is hard to imagine that so many people influenced her in different ways. From the way she dressed to the things she did, the flapper was conceived by the world around her. What is more amazing is that she has left a mark that has transcended throughout the decades. Joshua Zeitz’s work is an homage to the women who have changed the world forever with their sense of style, lacking regard for morals and manners, and their desire for freedom.

The 1920s represented the post-suffrage era when women made drastic social and cultural changes that affected the American women way of life. Women began to seek more rightsand equal representation through changes in social values. However, women still observed their primary responsibility for caring for the household; and also depended on men for monetary support (Martin, 1926). The essay brings into perspective, various transformations that took place in the 1920s, resulting in the diversion of the traditional norms.

Although many historians believe that there was a negative impact of industrialization and technological changes on American society; however, the positive impact of the two factors overpowers the negative impact on American society economically and socially between the time period of 1900 to 1930.

(1) This inspired an era of social and political progression regarding women and their role in society. According to an encyclopedia.com article, titled “Flappers”, “No decade in recent history has seen as much change in the status and style of women as the 1920s” The 1920’s, sometimes termed the Roaring Twenties, was an era of progression, specifically in the area of women’s rights (1). Women now had the opportunity to hold political office, be financially self sufficient, and live independently of men. These women, however, did not achieve this equality with ease. With suffrage attained, women now faced new obstacles. The most prevalent issue facing women during this time was the existing social discrimination. Women were still expected to live in conformity with their traditional roles in society, despite the new legal progression. Though women legally had the same freedoms and opportunities as men, the reality of the situation was very different. Discrimination towards women continued long after their suffrage was achieved. In response to this social unfairness, a new group of women developed, termed the Flapper

“The term "flapper" originated in the 1920s and refers to the fashion trend for unfastened rubber galoshes that "flapped" when walking, an attribution reinforced by the image of the free-wheeling flapper in popular culture.” (Sauro 1) Flappers were typically young, urban, middle-classed women. Clara Bow was one of the women who popularized the flapper look, and acts. Clara bow also cultivated the devil-may-care attitude and fashion. Bow was referred to as the scarlet that had “it.” (Hatton 2) Women in this era, were a far image from previous women. They turned the 1920s into a model of modern women hood by dominating the american cultural scenes.

The image of the flapper was used in magazines and advertising and lead to the influence of mass consumer culture and media. This new image of the flapper “encouraged both the consumption of new products and new patterns of consumption and provided women with accessible routes to engage with modernity.” Since women started to gain rights such as voting and opportunity to gain jobs, women started to gain a sense of freedom and started to mix in with the new modern world they were entering in. As stated before, technology started to rise, and companies wanted to sell these new products. So, companies started to aim towards women in

In the 1920’s, a new woman and following a new era was born. Women were no longer scared to express themselves or to act different. They smoked, drank, and voted. They cut their hair, they’d get all dolled up and do their makeup, and they went to parties. They took risks. They did things that other women would never think of doing before. These fashionable young women during the 1920’s were known as flappers. The term “flappers” originated from Great Britain. These women were on diets to get the right shape of their body for their outfits they would wear when they went out places. Flappers became the image that represented the tremendous change in women’s lives during that time period. When America became a part of the flapper trends it spreaded like crazy. Many were getting sick and tired of not being treated fairly like the rest of the people and they wanted thing to change that.

The 1920s were an era of exciting social reforms and deep cultural struggles. During this decade, time became progressive for women in America. Women were allowed to experience freedom on a more personal level. This didn’t hold back all the sexism that caused quite the controversy. Women from rural parts of the country started moving to the urban areas in search of jobs. In the work force, men received much more money than women did. The women who moved to the city found themselves with little money to go out and seek entertainment.

Another thing that changed for women, during the 1920’s was “flappers”. A flapper during the 1920’s was a young woman who was fashionable, and wanted to enjoy herself by going

After the 19th amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote, woman began leaving behind their traditional roles and taking on new responsibilities, fashion trends and claiming their independence.(Doc 5.The New Woman). The younger generation of ladies in the 1920s surfaced into what is know as a flapper. Flappers listened to jazz music, embraced risqué fashion trends, and took part in bold behavior, which challenged their stereotype and led to more tension. The need breed of woman wanted to be accepted by the older generation, who often judged and disagreed with their new lifestyle. (doc 6. Flappers Appeal to Parents) Clara Bow, a successful film star of her time and hard-partying flapper, was the first to earn the title of an “It Girl” and was also remembered for her humble and hardworking demeanor.(Doc 7. Clara Bow) Another notable female figure during the twenties was Aimee Semple McPherson, who influenced society in a much different way than Clara Bow. Aimee S. McPherson, or Sister Aimee, established an evangelistic ministry and founded the Foursquare Church. She preached the gospel across the globe and healed thousands with her prayers (Doc 8. Aimee S. McPherson).While both very contrasting characters, Clara Bow and sister Aimee opposed the stereotype of female roles which contributed to more personal freedom and opportunities for woman. However,

In the novel, The Great Gatsby, and the poem, “The Flapper,” show many similarities and have many of the same messages about women and how they they acted during the ‘20s. The Great Gatsby follows the narration of Nick Carraway, a young man who moves next door to a mysterious millionaire, Mr. Gatsby. Nick soon finds out Mr. Gatsby’s secrets and gets pulled into a giant affair. In “The Flapper,” the poem describes what is like to be a flapper and how a flapper acted. This poem makes sure to highlight how women felt and why they wanted to be flappers. Both the novel and the poem talk about flappers and have similar themes, plots, and symbols about women during the ‘20s.

Despite this, women were able to make a huge impact on America through social reforms. Many young women went against the beliefs of their parents. Prior to the Roaring Twenties, America was in a Victorian era. Women wore dresses that were floor-length, their hair was long and premarital sex was almost non-existent. During the 1920’s however, some women became what are known as “flappers”. This was a special fashion that segregated that subculture of young women from the older generations. In order to symbolize their independence and rebellion, flappers wore dresses with a hem that stopped at the knee, they often bobbed their hair (cut their hair short), smoking cigarettes, driving cars and visiting speakeasies to drink bootleg alcohol. Not only this, but many people revolted against sexual taboos in this era. According to Newman and Schmalbach, “Some were influenced by the writings of the Austrian psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, who stressed the role of sexual repression in mental illness. Others, who perhaps had never heard of Freud, took to premarital sex as if it were-like radio and jazz music-one of the inventions of the modern age… [Also] the use of contraceptives for birth control was still against the law in

Following the event of World War Two, America during the 1950s was an era of economic prosperity. Male soldiers had just returned home from war to see America “at the summit of the world”(Churchill). Many Americans were confident that the future held nothing other than peace and prosperity, so they decided to start families. However, the 1950s was also a time of radical changes. Because most of the men in the family had departed to fight in the war, women were left at home to do the housework. Even after the war, women were urged to stay at home to take care of the children. On the other hand, males would deal with financial businesses to keep their family out of poverty. These gender roles were embedded