Rise Of The Flappers In The 1920's

Taylia Terrell

Lilley

English II

06 April 2017

The Rise of the Flappers

Flappers of the 1920s left an extensive impact on the women of America today. Without these broad, daring, and independent women, we would not be seen as the individuals we are today. These free spirited ladies changed the way women were viewed by their bubbly, loud, and outgoing personalities that many women now have. These modern rebels are dynamic in history from their short bobbed hair to dancing in public while drinking out of their flask. Flappers were important figures in American history and helped shape the future for generations to come.

The 1920s went from a time of cataclysm to reconstruction in the United States. Men left

their jobs to participate in the Great War. Due to lack of labor, women had to take their place. With the men being gone and women having to take all responsibility, they started becoming highly independent. Though the war led to many jobs opening up for women, a large number of them were forced to give up their jobs when the soldiers returned. The jobs and work forces for women were still limited and most of them continued doing house work, cooking, and working in the medical field (Gourley 33). On June 4, 1919, the U.S. Congress passed the 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote. “While politicians and business leaders worried about the communist revolution spreading from Russia to the United States, young people were experiencing their own form of rebellion that had nothing to do with politics” (Allen 128). Thus, the Flapper was born.
“A flapper was a young woman, usually between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five” (Gourley 60).

Before the flapper, there was the Gibson girl who displayed immense femininity, dressed modestly, and waited patiently for a man to show interest in her. Many men died in World War I, leaving the younger generation of women single. This generation decided against the Gibson girl concepts; instead they wanted to live their lives independently, abandoning the “damsel in distress” mindset. “Unlike the Gibson girl, the flapper was radiant, energetic, volatile, voluble, brazen” (Leinwand 172). These young ladies were anything, but ladylike; they were strong, bold, and ready to seize everyday beyond the dominations of a husband. Flappers escaped from the older generation's mindset and created the perception of dating and introduced the idea of premarital intercourse. Urban areas grew vibrant as the decade of risque activity bloomed. “The ‘Younger Generation’ was breaking away from the old set of values” (Rosenberg). Flappers wanted to celebrate their autonomous lives by taking pleasure in activities that no Gibson girl would ever attempt. These revolutionary women began wearing makeup, drinking, partying, and

dancing.
Flappers were the face of the 1920s, drastically changing the way women dressed, spoke, and were viewed overall.

Fashion was hot off the press, distancing itself from the style of the previous age (Kalloniatis). Unlike the Gibson girl, flappers wanted to have more of a “boyish” look. They did this by cutting their hair into what was known as a “bob”: a cropped haircut that sat just under the ear. During the Jazz Age, men and women were shocked to see the young generation be so courageous, brave, and bold with their once long locks, but compared to society’s hair today with the many different haircuts and styles, the 1920s seem orthodox. In addition, they “...tightly wound their chest with strips of cloth in order to flatten it” (Rosenberg). These women decided against tight clothing and wore loose garments to move freely while they danced the Charleston. “Women wanted their clothes to reflect their freedom” (Kalloniatis). The lose clothes they wore showed more of their ankles, legs, and necks-- as if their body was an outfit accessory. Much like the automobiles being produced by Henry Ford, flappers represented the “live fast, die young” mentality of the time, their actions being often impulsive and risky. Technological developments like the automobile helped young men and women have more secret and private dates. Women not only rode in this new invention, but were daring enough to drive themselves (Rosenberg). This also was a shock to the older generation of this decade

because women today are driving just as much as men. This was another way flappers achieved their freedom. After the U.S. Government outlawed alcohol in the United States, flappers were rebellious and drank despite of 18th Amendment in secret drinking organizations called “speakeasies”. Contrary to the popular belief that they gave into social pressure to flirt and drink heavily, they saw their actions as self-willed and as an attempt to start full equality between sexes. The 1920s flappers encouraged a time of jazz music performed by African Americans and after World War I; jazz was commonly associated with new dances. These dances were created and fit perfectly with their “fast-paced life-style”. “Dances such as the Charleston, Black Bottom and the Shimmy were considered ‘wild’ by older generations” (Rosenberg). All of these components led to a drive for equal rights (Spivack).