Women In The 1920's

Women Changing the Future
The 1920s were a time of great change in the United States. World War I had just ended and everyone was joyous that it was over. Women had assumed new roles as the men were gone, but as they returned, the women were meant to go back to their old lives. Instead of doing this, they created a new style that came with new attitudes, to celebrate life. Not only did those that survived the war have reason to celebrate, but the survivors of the Spanish Influenza had reason to celebrate life as well. It was at this time that the flapper came about with her hair cut in a bob style, wearing shorter, more revealing dresses, and walking around with a bold new confidence. The flapper soon became a symbol of the changing times

These metaphors make comparisons between the new jobs and personalities to traits commonly found in objects. In one example, Stevenson describes time as being solid while she refers to the future, showing that people are just celebrating at this point in their lives and that in future years they will settle down(1). Stevenson then uses a metaphor to show the audience that people's jobs reflected the carefree happiness they felt in life. “... careers danced upon this foam of confidence.”(Stevenson 1). These people know that these types of jobs will not last forever but they like the feeling of creating their own future instead of being stuck in the same old pattern as generations before. This access to the future created a “froth”(1) that people used to make money and become successful. In addition, Stevenson uses metaphors to describe the boldness of the flapper. “... her way of skating gaily over thin ice.”(Stevenson 2). The flapper shows her boldness by not being worried about what other people think of her. She is not trying to be proper or modest, she is being herself in a way that was considered unacceptable for generations before. Stevensons comparisons help her young female audience know that life does not have to be stressful, it can be celebrated in anything you do, in the way you want to do

Stevenson also describes the celebration of life that lead to the change of style and attitude. The flapper helped change people’s perception of women, making them see women as strong and capable of getting things done. This helped when men had to leave to go to war once again. Women were given a greater role in the war effort by being hired to work in factories, making supplies to be sent over to the men at war. After gaining the right to vote in 1920, women saw that they could do much more in the fight for equality. Today, women work in the same jobs as men, get the same education and we are looking at the possibility of the first female president. Over the years, many actions have been taken in the fight for women’s equality, many of these actions have worked, and many more will be taken in the future to continue fighting for