The 1920’s in the United States was identified as the Roaring Twenties for its exuberant and dynamic characteristics. It was a time of economic prosperity that allowed individuals to pursue an unrestricted lifestyle. The new styles of clothing and dancing that arose encouraged young women to abandon traditional standards. According to Gilder Lehrman, “The 1920’s heralded a dramatic break between America’s past and future.” There was not one single event that contributed to the adjustment of society, but many social changes and influences as well. Though this decade is commonly known for the prohibition of alcohol, the flapper women were a major component of the culture at the time. As stated by B. DiPaolo, “In the early 20th century, a new …show more content…
breed of young women emerged: the so-called flapper was opinionated, smoked and drank heavily, and flaunted her sexuality in ways considered shocking at the time.” The young women that were recognized as flappers broke from tradition in the 1920’s as a result of the war, the prohibition, and the desire for individualism. The main source of behavioral change in the 1920’s was World War I.
For the duration of the war, many women were urged to enter the workforce and take the jobs that were left vacant by male soldiers in combat. As a result, many women found a sense of freedom that they had never experienced before. In the past, women were typically engaged in dependent relationships and were not permitted to have an occupation outside of the home. Many women secured jobs while the men were away because society could not function properly without certain positions being filled. Although women earned far less than men, they were still able to support the extravagant flapper lifestyle that many of them desired to live. The war also had an emotional impact on many of the people in the younger generation. According to Ellen Welles Page, a flapper at the time, “The war tore away our spiritual foundations and challenged our faith.” (Lehrman 4) Consequently, many young people lost their faith in family and religion, which led them to accept a wilder way of life. Along with this, their conventional perspectives on life began to vanish. These young men and women transitioned from a particularly conservative manner of life to something that was completely opposite of that. Rather than staying within their homes, they frequently went out with other women to engage in the entertainment that the nightlife had to offer. They abandoned many morals that society had in place for young women at the …show more content…
time. Another factor that contributed to the advance of the flapper was the Prohibition of alcohol.
The prohibition began in 1920 when the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution went into effect. This was a time in which the United States government made an effort to ban the sale and consumption of alcohol across the country. The prohibition ultimately failed because many people found illegal methods to obtain alcohol. The Eighteenth Amendment was then finally repealed in 1933 with the ratification of the Twenty-First Amendment. In addition to alcohol being prohibited, the flapper people were rebellious and attended parties that took place in underground establishments. Private establishments were very popular and known as speakeasies. The young people spent large amount of time at these places to consume alcohol and enjoy the nightlife. Alcohol was served in teacups to disguise and hide it from the law enforcement. Due to the fact that the alcohol was illegal, many flappers found partying and drinking to be exhilarating. This type of criminal behavior appealed to the flappers and simply led them to participate in it more often. Flappers were often characterized by their inclination to break from traditional thoughts, actions, and
beliefs. “The flapper emerged amid that climate of social change, and came to symbolize a new form of liberated women.” (DiPoalo 3) During the 1920’s, The Women’s Rights Movement was taking place and it was in full effect. Many women altered their views on the world as a result of this movement by doing anything it would take to get the results they wanted. For many years, women desired individualism and equality. In the process of the women’s rights campaign, the young women came to the realization that they were able to become anything they wanted as long as they did it together. Before the 1920’s, women were isolated from each other because in most cases they were required to stay in the home to take care of everything there. While women did this, the men had a full time job to support the family. As women moved into the workforce, they were able to converse rather than be isolated at home. The 1920’s in the United States broke many boundaries that were set in place by society. Many events that took place in this era affected the behavior of the young women that encouraged them to take the persona of a flapper. Women abandoned the role of a domestic housekeeper to become free and independent. With this freedom came a new, more common liberal look for the world and themselves. This was a time of transition between the former antiquated ways of life to a new frontier for women. The war gave women an opportunity to converse with one another rather than be isolated. The prohibition gave them a chance to explore new venues of entertainment that had not been experienced in the past. Ultimately, they had a desire for individualism and independence. Women wanted to break free from the traditional gender roles that society had assigned to them, and did this with the extravagant lifestyle of the flapper.
The roaring twenties was a new era, WWI was over and that was cause to celebrate.As music radio and motion pictures became very popular in the early 20's, people stop taking life so seriously, "you only live once" became the anthem of the time.Everything was changing, many women started drinking smoking and wearing make up. They started rebelling against their parents and victorian standards were thrown out the window. These women were called flappers, for their short provocative skirts and actions.
The flappers that existed in this age set the way for modern feminists. Flappers were being seen as large advocates for movements supporting women’s rights. This was because as well as taking part in specific social activities, they also started to have an effect on the amount of women with jobs because of their engagement in employment. By defying the traditional roles of women in the U.S., flappers inspired many women to get jobs and support themselves, making females a more important part of American society. They were also somewhat active in politics because they supported women’s rights as well as voting. However, flappers were also seen as defying traditional gender stereotypes, and modesty. Donna Bonthuis also stated that by the time she was in high school, girls were allowed to wear pants for casual occasions. The effects that flappers had on women and working were also relevant to Donna’s life. “My mother would usually give me and my sister work to do on the weekends. We mowed the lawn, clipped weeds...We washed dishes. We got a dishwasher when I was a teenager, but it hardly ever worked. It always leaked or shut off.” The fact that teenage girls were being put to hard labor in the years following the 1920s could be attributed to the changes the flappers made in the world of working
... fewer children was stressed to the patriarchal, consumerist society. The roaring twenties were a consumerist and capitalist age for America, and the liberalization of women occurred naturally as the younger generation was born into the new age of Freudian sexuality, however the flapper as a symbol for young women is incorrect. Out of proportion, and unfounded the flapper was a consumerist to exploit a rising cultural market. Women gained the right to their bodies, as America gained the right to its profit.
Some people hated this idea of the Flapper and they blamed the war for these women’s new behaviors. After World War I, young women and young girls started to act free and go against their families. “Some people in society blamed the war for triggering this rebellion of youth and they claimed it had upset the balance of the sexes and, in particular, confuse women of their role in society and where they truly belonged” (Grouley 63). Some people hated the idea of the flappers and these women had become. These women, the flappers, in the 1920s felt free after the 19th amendment was passed. “Since the early twentieth century, the sexual habits of these American women had changed in profound ways” (Zeitz 21). Flappers drank, partied, and had romantic evenings with men. All of which were illegal for women. In addition, they were an embarrassment to society and they were able to get away with anything. “Flappers were a disgrace to society because they were lazy-pleasure seekers who were only interested in drinking, partying, and flirting” (Dipalo 1). For instance, Flappers went to clubs, drank, and hung out with men and were too lazy to do anything. Therefore, one consequence of the war was the creation of a new woman and this led to a movement like no other.
Frederick Lewis Allen, in his famous chronicle of the 1920s Only Yesterday, contended that women’s “growing independence” had accelerated a “revolution in manners and morals” in American society (95). The 1920s did bring significant changes to the lives of American women. World War I, industrialization, suffrage, urbanization, and birth control increased women’s economic, political, and sexual freedom. However, with these advances came pressure to conform to powerful but contradictory archetypes. Women were expected to be both flapper and wife, sex object and mother. Furthermore, Hollywood and the emerging “science” of advertising increasingly tied conceptions of femininity to a specific standard of physical beauty attainable by few. By 1930, American women (especially affluent whites) had won newfound power and independence, but still lived in a sexist culture where their gender limited their opportunities and defined their place in society.
In the 1920s, a new woman was born. She smoked, drank, danced, and voted. She cut her hair, wore make-up, and went to petting parties. She was giddy and took risks. She was a flapper.
In the 1920's the term flapper referred to a "new breed" of women. They wore short skirts and dresses which were straight and very loose. The arms were left bare and the waistline was dropped to the hips. By 1927 the length of the skirts had rose just below the knee which when they danced would be shown. The chests appeared to look very small and women would tape themselves to look even smaller. Bras were also sold to make them appear very small. Their hairstyles were cut very short and were known as a bob, another popular style that was later introduced was the "Eaton" or "Shingle". These styles had slicked the hair back and covered the ears with curls. Women started wearing "kiss proof" lipstick in shades of red, their eyes were ringed a dark black color, and their skin was powered to look very pale. One of the big things with the flappers were that they smoked cigarettes through long holders and drank alcohol openly in public now. They also started dating freely and danced all night long very provocatively. Jazz music was rising in population and the flappers brought it out even more. Not all women changed into becoming a flapper, yet the little numbers impacted the 1920's in a huge way.
The roaring twenties, a decade of celebration and partying after world war I finished, a decade of breaking way of tradition, and also a decade of banned alcohol. As part of the 18th amendment, alcohol was prohibited and the manufacturing, transportation, importation, exportation and selling of alcoholic beverages were illegal. This ban was put in place to lower crime and corruption, reduce social problems, lower taxes needed to support prisons and poorhouses, and improve the health and hygiene in America. Unfortunately, the problems the prohibition sought to resolve went on to become worse, causing a rise in crime (making it organised), courts/prisons to overload, and the population's health took its toll.
Prohibition in the 1920s America sits for its portrait through an era of wonderful nonsense as stated in the book, This Fabulous Century 1920-1930, describes the Roaring 20s, which was a frivolous, free wheeling decade when ladies. wore flapper gowns and bobbed their hair. Men started to engage in business affairs, such as the Stock Market and many sports events. held like a derbie. Many new dances like the Charleston were invented.
There was a change in traditional clothings. A new fashioned group of women started to appear in the 1920s. Flappers are women who appeal to more modern and fashionable way of dressing and living styles. Women wore short skirts instead of long dresses. The short, bobbing hairs took place of long, tight buns. “Manly” actions such as smoking and drinking are becoming more common within women. Women are totally turning the tradition upside down during the twenties.
The 1920’s is sometimes referred to as the “Roaring Twenties,” or “The Era of Wonderful Nonsense.” The nonsense this phrase is referring to is the style and boldness of the new kind of rebel: the flapper. In the 1920’s the flappers shocked everyone and set the path for other people who yearned to stand out and be different. The flappers certainly contrasted the generation before them, but that did not happen overnight.
In the 1920’s, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, which gave women the right to vote. During this decade women became strong and more independent. Women were accomplishing a lot more than they had before. Women started going to college so she could earn her own living. More women started leaving the home and working at a factory or as a secretary. Women were discriminated at the work place. They received lower wages then man did. In the 1920’s, the term flapper was introduced. It was first used in Britain after World War 1. Young women were labeled as flappers who wore makeup shorter skirts. Fl...
During World War I, many men were drafted away from their families to fight for America. The men left an excess of jobs available for women to take. These jobs were not just an option but also a necessary responsibility to support their family, while their husbands were at war. In the absence of many men, women wore shorter skirts for functionality, learned to drive cars, and cut their hair. It is believed that because of the shortage of qualified men, women became more aggressive towards them, demonstrating behavior of a “Flapper” ("Flappers." Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion”) World War 1 gave women a taste of what it was like to earn a living outside of the house and they liked the independence. When the men came back from the war, women were not so eager to give it up. Also, the war had wiped out a number of males, not only leaving more jobs available for women, but also leaving wives and...
Women during the 1920's lifestyle, fashion, and morals were very different than women before the 1920's. Flappers became the new big thing after the 19th amendment was passed. Women's morals were loosened, clothing and haircuts got shorter, and fashion had a huge role in these young women.
Serving as the symbol of a heroine during the Roaring 20s, young women strived to obtain the flapper image while youth culture was on the rise due to urbanization. Although this concept was a highly popularized ideal during this era, it is not entirely clear where the term “flapper” originated from. According to the book The Damned and the Beautiful: American Youth in the 1920s written by Paula Fass, “In Great Britain at the end of the nineteenth century, [a flapper] meant a woman of loose morals, possibly a prostitute.” Reflecting this newfound sense of maturity and sexual independence openly expressed by females who adopted the desired lifestyle of a flapper, women emerged from the restricting societal norms of the early to mid-19th century and engaged in more scandalous activities, such as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol