Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Essays about the history of flappers
Flappers and what they did
Changing roles for women in the 1920s
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Flappers
People today complain about how young girls behave and what they wear but imagine your grandmother as a young girl wearing a short dress, short hair cut and behaving however she wanted.Well that’s exactly what the flappers did and how they dressed in the 1920's. A Flapper is a fashionable young women in the 1920's, intent on enjoying herself and flouting conventional standards of behavior.Many people didn’t approve of what they wore or how they behaved but they didn’t care; they believed in living there life to the fullest(SMITH "FLAPPERS").The flappers image was considered as drastic to some, shocking changes in women hair and clothing.
They wore fashion like short dresses, rolled down rayon "artificial silk" stockings, fake
…show more content…
The flapper left her indelible mark on the language, dress, and behavior of American women(SMITH "FLAPPERS").The 1920's was the era of the first youth rebellion(The Jazz Age The 20's 28-30).Some people viewed the flappers as bold for outspoken nature and her use of slang. Flappers represented a new type of freedom following the constraints of WWII(The Twenties in America 313-314).The flapper became an ideal for women who wanted to be modern, chic, and carefree(The Twenties in America …show more content…
After the 19th amendment was passed women saw it as a green ticket for independence and more freedom.They now could do activities that that men could do but women couldn’t before.They did activities like attending late night parties, night clubs,and going out without chaperon.They believed that life should be lived moment to moment not accord to society, or moral conventions(Smith "flappers").They changed their views regarding courtship rituals, marriage and children rearing(A Cultural History of The United States 1920's 49-51).
They also used varieties of slangs.They used slangs like bees knees(superb person or thing), belly laugh(aloud; uninhibited laugh), and all wet(wrong) but the most popular were big cheese(important person), bump off(to murder), banana(nonsense), apple sauce(nonsense) and bologna(nonsense)(The Jazz Age The 20's 28-30).They were brave, young, and sopisticated.They believed that women should live life to the fullest and they seemed
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.
The flapper was the harbinger of radical change in American culture. She was a product of social and political forces that assembled after the First World War. Modernization adjusted the American life. Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz analyzes the people who created the image 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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 women's roles were soon starting to change. After World War One it was called the "Jazz Age", known for new music and dancing styles. It was also known as the "Golden Twenties" or "Roaring Twenties" and everyone seemed to have money. Both single and married women we earning higher- paying jobs. Women were much more than just staying home with their kids and doing house work. They become independent both financially and literally. Women also earned the right to vote in 1920 after the Nineteenth Amendment was adopted. They worked hard for the same or greater equality as men and while all this was going on they also brought out a new style known as the flapper. All this brought them much much closer to their goal.
The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote and let them feel like they have become full citizens which resulted in becoming a flapper. In 1917, women boycotted for the right to vote in front of the White House and for this "harmless act" many were incarcerated (West 1). On August 26, 1920, after a hard-won battle, women finally had become full citizens in their own minds. The 19th Amen...
woman's body. Flapper was invented to describe a so called new breed.Flapper women wore bobbed hair, short skirts, and they enjoyed listening to jazz music.Flappers also drove cars and smoked, the word flapper is another word for prostitute. Many people disapproved of flappers because they thought they showed too much. Louise Brooks was a fashion icon of the 1920’s, she often wore flappers. “Coco Chanel’s motto was ...
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.
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...
... 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.
...hanges in women’s attitudes, actions, and morals left a great impact for women to be independent. The Flapper created a new emotional culture for women for all ages and races, as well as a new youth identity for herself. The 1920’s allowed women who never had their own voice to be reborn and to realize their roles in society. The decade will forever live on.