Constantly serving as a critical topic of discussion throughout centuries of history, the celebration of women’s rights and the steps taken to achieve this ideal around different regions of the world has set the foundation for the perceptions of females today. In the United States, women’s rights conferences were held as early as the mid-1800s and entirely manifested into a movement in the 1920s when women were officially granted suffrage, or the right to vote in political elections, at a national level. Along with utilizing this newly gained privilege to have their voices be heard in political affairs, women also began to taking steps to be seen in society too, adopting the styles and mannerisms of a flapper – a young, fashionable American …show more content…
woman who was intent on enjoying herself and flouting conventional standards of behavior (Smith, 2015). Because these females who modernized the perception of women in the United States played such an influential role in American history, the question we will explore is how did flappers represent women's newfound ideals of liberation in the 1920s?
With discussion of language, sex, style, cultural norms, and the prominent female figures during this era, one can gain a more thorough understanding on this topic.
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
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(the most popular drink being gin), and dancing in an outrageously immodest style in steamy jazz clubs with a multitude of male suitors (Fass, 1979). This lifestyle was soon associated with the now-familiar image of these women in 1910 when writer E. A. James began to write a chronicle of tales called Her Majesty the Flapper featuring a vigorous, coquettish fifteen-year-old girl. This image was furthermore portrayed with the release of the 1920 film The Flapper directed by Frances Marion, in which celebrity Olive Thomas played the role of a young girl in search of exciting adventures that were considered shocking by society, such as sharing a soda with a boy in the open or slipping away to go to a party without any parental supervision (Smith, 2015). By engaging in scandalous activities that would have never been imagined by women of the previous generation, Thomas’s character easily portrayed the outrageous lifestyle in which daring women would uptake in the following decade. Only after the release of this film did the term “flapper” gain notoriety and nationwide appeal amongst young women wanting to express their rebellious attitude and push for liberation against traditional roles and mannerisms for women of the late 19th and early 20th century. Following the end of World War I, flappers emerged and stood for a new kind of independence as opposed to the restraints placed upon them earlier in the century.
According to the book Flappers: a Guide to an American Subculture written by Kelly Boyer Sagert, “Early in the 1920s, flappers epitomized the battle for freedom in terms of self-expression, female equality, and indulgence in pleasures.” The first of these three components of this fight for autonomy was conveyed through fashion and beauty choices highly popularized by flappers, such as bobbed hair, bold makeup, short skirts, and rolled stockings; all of which redefining the perception of the feminine form and silhouette. Significant gains were also made towards the battle for gender equality when women were granted suffrage, therefore permitting their opinions and ideologies to be present in political decisions and allowing women to be more involved in local, state, and national affairs. In addition, flappers went against societal norms for women and began indulging in pleasurable activities, such as attending speakeasies, dancing the Charleston with numerous male suitors at jazz clubs, and engaging in casual sex as opposed to remaining reserved and modest as women in earlier generations had (Sagert, 2010). As said by author Jonathan Zeitz in his book Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern, “They believed that life should be lived moment to moment, not according to
moral or societal conventions,” (Zeitz, 2006). This motto was openly lived by and modeled by females of upper class societies, yet was soon adopted by women in middle-class families who strived to defy the traditional conventions and rise to the level of the women of the upper class whom they admired. When asked to consider physical attributes of female celebrities during the Old Hollywood era of the Roaring 20s, many may note the iconic features that were revolutionized by none other than by flappers. From ditching long, luscious locks for bobbed hairstyles with curls accentuating their rosy cheeks to highlighting their faces with bold eye shadows, eyeliners, rouge, and brightly colored lipsticks, flappers pushed away the concept of using traditional makeup to enhance natural beauty, instead applying it to stand out and look more glamorous (Smith, 2015). According to author of book Twentieth Century Fashion: The Twenties and Thirties – Flappers and Vamps, Cally Blackman discusses the influence of the development of the flapper style, stating “They adopted a distinctive style of dress that was associated with French fashions, most notably those of designer Coco Chanel,” (Blackman, 2000). Inspired by the best-selling novel La Garçonne, Chanel designed clothing that fought against existing traditional feminine roles and instead expressed independence, something considered scandalous for women back in that era. Instead of focusing on making the feminine form more appealing to outside society, Chanel instead focused on combining beauty with functionality, to provide women a greater feel of freedom within their clothing. This new style therefore eliminated waist-straining corsets (which often caused women great discomfort along with shortness of breath), and alternatively replaced them with more comfortable yet alluring apparel choices, such as “short dresses with dropped waistlines, cloche hats, rolled-down silk stockings, and long strings of beads” (Blackman, 2000). Focusing on the ideal for women to be contemporary, stylish, yet relaxed through an outward form of expression, Chanel revolutionized women’s fashion and its purpose indefinitely. Although the flapper lifestyle was originally intended to serve as a form of social protest by women, it began to be seen as more amusing than serious by outside society. Even with middle-aged women joining the teenaged girls in this historical movement, the flappers were still associated with engaging in scandalous activities, such as attending speakeasies and jazz clubs. Regardless, modern bourgeois women who wanted a greater sense of individual independence joined in and helped progress the assurance and self-awareness females strived to attain with this outrageous standard of living (Smith, 2015). The differences in perceptions of flappers is shown in the effect of the film It directed by Clarence Badger in 1927, in which actress Clara Bow is portrayed as a “middle-class working girl in a department store who uses her sex appeal (the titular ‘it’) to capture the attention of the heir to the store and marry into wealth,” (Zeitz, 2006). Although Bow is shown to openly flaunt her sexuality and defy traditional standards of modesty (qualities in which flappers considered to be representative of independence), outside society perceived this move as contradictory towards flapper ideals as she used her sexuality to depend on the wealthy heir. Despite outside disapproval from critics towards flapper style and mannerisms, these women continued on with their movement and impacted women’s history indefinitely. Representing newfound ideals of female liberation during the Roaring 20s, flappers ushered in the new era of independent women and left a lasting impact on societal perceptions of the style, sexuality, and mannerisms of these influential ladies. Making their mark indelibly with their speech, garb, and exuberant form of conduct, flappers were known for their outspoken nature and pursuit for autonomy. Bringing about changing attitudes towards the role of women in modern-day society, flappers began playing a more active role in their communities and were regarded as an emblem of women’s empowerment in that era.
Flappers were not just spunky young rebellious woman who tried to defy there mother’s traditions and cause an uproar in society. Her bluntness about sexuality created a new emotional and sexual culture for women. It also created a new foundation for male and female courtship. They showed women around the world that being submissive could only harm the remarkable female. The flappers created a new youth identity.
A Flapper is “a young woman in the 1920s who dressed and behaved in a way that was considered very modern” (Merriam-Webster). There was many opinions on how young women should act in the 1920s, but the ladies listened to the voices in their head. They set an example for the future women to dress and act the way they want, men could no longer tell women how to dress and act. The new era of young women opened many doors for all females.
This work is an incorporation of narrative, statistics, and scholarly work that provide a distinct insight on the “New Woman.” Joshua Zeitz asserts the flapper was not a dramatic change from traditional American values but reflected the “modern” decade under mass media, celebrity, and consumerism. Flappers were the “New Woman,” asserting her right to dance, date, smoke, drink alcohol, work, and be free from the restraint of accepted social norms. Scott Fitzgerald and Zelda are notable people who commenced the image of a flapper. Zeitz further develops his argument by providing statistics of working women who dreamed of being a flapper.
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.
Imagine walking in the streets where all other women and girls are dressed in long dresses, look modest, and have long hair with hats. Then, there is a girl with a short skirt and bobbed hair smoking a cigarette. This girl makes a statement and is critically judged by many people for dressing this way. Women during the 1920s did not look “boyish” in any way, so when short hair and short skirts were introduced, it was seen as shameful. The girls wearing this new style are known as flappers.
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.
Partying, drinking, and dancing; these are the adjectives most commonly associated with the life of a flapper. While these descriptions are accurate, they do not inform people of the advantages and gains flappers make for the female gender. The flapper embodied the idea of freedom from the usual duties of a young female in the 1920s. These women were no longer tied down with the expectation that they would immediately become a wife and mother, as well as being conservative and modest. By diving into a look at the fashion, music, and lifestyle of the flapper during the 1920s it will become obvious that they were not only independent, liberated, and enjoying many more freedoms than they had previously throughout history, but that they also helped pave the way for future generations of women’s quest for independence.
... caused uproar in society (although they tended to do so along the way), the Flapper was, and still is, the biggest symbol of the loud and modern youth of the 1920’s. Their blunt personality about the sexual desire their feigned for created a new emotional and sexual culture for women, and new beginnings for both the male and female relationship. Flappers have had a major impact over the decades. They are still influencing women to this day. As they shook the social formation and the traditional female roles, they took pride in showing women across the globe that being submissive could only harm the potentially remarkable female. In other words, the Flapper created a new youth identity but not only in the United States, also in Europe and Russia. The older generation was all well familiar with the “Flaming Youth” and the desire it lead on to be free and at will.
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.
As progressive era reforms advanced from the 1880s to t 1920s, women took on a significant role in political change with specific regard to the ratification of the 19th amendment and social conditions with emphasis on women’s reproductive rights and restraint from alcohol.
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...
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.