Flappers: The Untraditional Women of the 1920s
analytical Essay
675 words
Some women of the 1920s rebelled against being traditional. These women became known as flappers and impacted the post-war society. People in the 1920’s couldn’t make up their minds about flappers. Some were against them and some were with them. Therefore, some people in the 1920’s loved and idolized flappers, I on the other hand, believed that they were a disgrace to society. These women broke many rules leading young women to rebel against their families.
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 addition, after the w...
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...xample, when the girls were living by themselves in the city, they shut out their parents and didn’t care if anything happened to them. Therefore, one aspect of the feminist movement led to women leaving their houses, ignoring their families, and wearing short skirts and dresses.
For these reasons, I am against flappers. Flappers were able to impact society after the 20’s because they didn’t behave like society’s expectations of the traditional woman. However, some people liked the flappers because they believe that we wouldn’t be dressing or behaving like we do today. Therefore, the concept of the flapper was new to the people of the 1920s because women became more independent. Thus, in my opinion, some ways in which the flapper wasn’t good for the society at the time was because these women broke many rules which led young women to rebel against their families.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that some women of the 1920s rebelled against being traditional and became known as flappers and impacted the post-war society.
- Explains that some people hated the idea of the flapper and they blamed war for these women's new behaviors.
- Explains that after the war, women broke all sorts of rules, such as driving cars, riding bicycles, and smoking. they defied many laws and became irresponsible.
- Analyzes how women of the 1920s defied the conventions of acceptable female behavior by smoking in public, exposing their legs, and shredding their corsets. some women fled rural america in pursuit of better economic opportunities.
- Opines that some people liked the flappers because they believed that we wouldn't be dressing or behaving like we do today.
Related
- explanatory
- analytical
- Flapper Women In America Essayexplanatory essayThe most influential decade on contemporary was the 1920s because of the contribution in transportation technology, the advantage of credit, and the change in women’s freedom.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the 1920s were the most influential decade on contemporary because of the contribution in transportation technology, the advantage of credit, and the change in women's freedom.
- Explains that flapper girls in the 1920s changed the way they dressed by wearing shorter skirts, changing their way of life by partying more often, and by taking these actions changed how women were viewed in america.
- Explains that flapper girls were important to america's history because they took a stand for women and wanted to be treated equally to men. they cut their hair short to contrast their sex appealing attire.
- Explains that flappers paved the way for new opportunities for women in america. they were opinionated, smoked and drank heavily, and flaunted her sexuality in ways considered shocking at the time.
- Opines that although the movement of flapper girls was very empowering, not all women made the switch from their more conservative lives to a full of fun
- Explains that the radio took communication to a whole new level and opened up the doors to many businesses that wanted to advertise or be featured on radio.
- Explains that the first automobile was created by henry t. ford. automobiles made life easier for all americans in the 1920s and still do today.
- Explains that automobiles created the chance of car accidents and death from an automobile. although cars were expensive in the 1920s, credit ownership was possible.
- Explains that consumer credit became an indispensable part of american economic life after the 1920s. the idea of buying things when the money wasn't physically there and paying for them once it was there gave americans freedom and enrichment to life.
- Explains that credit was beneficial to americans sense of freedom and accessibility to items they could never once buy, but it did bring a lot of problems into the later history of america.
- Explains that the concept of debt was now in play in america and cause a stress for the next years to come.
957 wordsRead More - Flappers: Colorful Female Characters of the 1920'sanalytical essayFlappers: Colorful Female Characters of the 1920's As men left to fight in the Great War in the late 1910's, women in the U.S. and all over Europe found themselves necessary to make the homefront function, i.e. women had to fill the holes in industry and social life that the absence of men created for them. It is at this time that the flapper appears; a new kind of woman with short, bobbed hair, shorter skirts and freer clothes to match her new, freer lifestyle. It is no wonder that the vote was given to women during this time, as the idea of gender equality became a reality in its necessity. It is a bit difficult to say where the term "flapper" came from. It was used in Britain to mean "a young girl", mostly in the sense that a young girl resembles a baby bird leaving the nest, flapping its wings and unable to really fly yet.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that women were needed to fill the holes in industry and social life that the absence of men created for them. the flapper was a new kind of woman with short, bobbed hair, shorter skirts and freer clothes.
- Explains that the term "flapper" was used in britain to mean "a young girl". f. scott fitzgerald used this term in the states to define the new young women who had emerged after the war.
- Explains that a flapper was supposed to be young, not yet mature in herself, but with brazen attitude towards life. they were often criticized for their lack of clothing, and refused to wear garter belts.
- Analyzes how flappers wore make-up, something that had been restricted to prostitutes in the past. it was as if girls were smashing the old conceptions of womanhood to the ground.
- Explains that there were many different degrees of "flapperhood," and the average suburban girl was not quite as wild as the stars of hollywood or the infamous zelda fitzgerald. all women bought into this new movement in some form or another.
- Explains that flappers were best known for their social life, spending dancing and boozing with men. they invented dating, refusing to go around with just one man at a time, and engaged in sexual activities before being married to them.
- Explains that the girls were known for their new "slang", consisting of terms to label the new world. it was colorful and descriptive, but completely undecipherable to parents or adults.
- Opines that the flapper lifestyle was idealized in the lives of famous women, such as zelda fitzgerald, anita loos, and dozens of actresses both on the silver screen and the stage.
845 wordsRead More - The Role Of The Flapper In The 1920sanalytical essayIntroduction In the scope of the mainstream, in regards to women- The Flapper specifically, the 1920s could be seen as an era of rapid progressivism both socially and politically; I am here to tell you that this is not necessarily the case. While many battles in the 20s were won for women- women’s suffrage was now a constitutional right, women were permitted degrees of greater autonomy by entering the workplace and by living away from home and et cetera- like so many other things in this newly emerging modern era, there was more lying beneath the surface that serves to tell a contrary story.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that while the 1920s were an era of rapid progressivism, there was more lying beneath the surface that serves to tell a contrary story.
- Explains that in 1920, suffragettes hung up floral hats and picket signs in exchange for the short, boxy dresses of the modern woman considering new liberties at hand given to them by modern convenience and the newly ratified 19th amendment.
- Describes the suffragette as a woman who fought for political issues, including prohibition, child labor, and alice paul's 1923 equal rights amendment.
- Analyzes how the flapper was apolitical, seeing politics as out of fashion. she fought for freedom by wearing shorter dresses and bobbed hair to support patriotism.
- Explains that now that we have separated successfully the suffragette and the flapper in favor of a true account of the flapper in the context of women's rights, we can move on to focus upon her.
- Analyzes how eunice littlefield in sinclair lewis's babbitt embodies the duality of the flapper girl. she is simultaneously moving forward while staying in the same place.
1096 wordsRead More - Flappers Essayexplanatory essay“Flappers” a “new breed” of young western women that made their appearance during the liberal period known as the Roaring Twenties which lasted from 1920 until 1929 after the first world war. The new woman pushed the boundaries of gender identity and defied the old Victorian-American conception of sexuality and other roles of men and women in society. Flappers today are most well known for their appearance; the short hair, short skirts, heavy makeup, cigarettes and jazz, however, the era of the flappers symbolized a movement of freedom from social and sexual oppression.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the flappers as a "new breed" of western women who pushed the boundaries of gender identity and defied the old victorian-american conception of sexuality.
- Explains that women's goal of the era was to eliminate social double standards. the 18th amendment banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors.
- Explains that birth control empowered women to take control of their own body. premarital sex became popular as a sign of emancipation from social norms and sexual freedom.
- Explains that the word "jazz" was no longer a music genre, but rather used by flappers to describe anything exciting or fun.
- Explains that flappers were criticized for taking women's newfound social reforms and freedoms too far. the independent flapper avoided long-term commitments such as marriage and flirted with multiple male partners.
- Explains that flappers were liberated young women who could finally express their sexuality and educated views on topics such as art, society, and politics. flappers had an influence on modern feminism and made room for a new age.
- Explains that freedom from restrictive dress, laces that interfered with breathing, and hoops that needed managing suggested a freedom to breathe and walk, encouraging movement out of the house. changes in fashion indicated deeper changes in the american lifestyle.
- Explains that flappers pioneered a sexual revolution and created an entirely new, youth-oriented subculture in american society. their willingness to defy conventional morality, male authority, and societal expectations has inspired rebellious sentiments in today's generations.
- Opines that controversies over youth culture, sex, and gender roles will continue over everything flappers represented.
839 wordsRead More - Young and Wild Women of The Twentiesexplanatory essayWhen you hear the term “Roaring Twenties”, what is the first thought that comes to your mind? Do you think of the amazing night life and the beautiful extravagant parties? Or, do you think of the incredible influence alcohol had on the culture in the twenties? Many people imagine the severe transformation of the people. During this period of overwhelming prosperity, many people questioned the values of the past and were willing to experiment with new values and behavior as well as new fashions. Today, you will be reading about the most significant changes and qualities in women during the 1920’s. Over the course of the rebellious and luxurious atmosphere of the twenties, women began asserting their independence, and demanding the same values and freedoms that men received.
In this essay, the author
- Describes the most significant changes and qualities in women during the 1920's.
- Explains that the flapper was an emancipated young woman who embraced the new fashions and urban attitudes of the day.
- Explains that the fast pace world of the 1920s left women with refreshed positions in the workplace and all the current trends in their homes.
- Explains that social, and economic changes were transforming the family life. birth control and sexual education became easier to access.
- Opines that the bold, rebellious, and free-lancing imaginations of the young, influential women in the twenties really had an impact on the world.
- Explains that "flappers in the roaring twenties." about.com 20th century history.
- Opines that "the twenties woman." the americans. reconstruction to the 21st century.
757 wordsRead More - Flappers In The Roaring Twentiesanalytical essayIn 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 this essay, the author
- Describes how a new woman was born in the 1920s. she smoked, drank, danced, and voted.
- Cites frederick lewis allen's only yesterday: an informal history of the nineteen-twenties.
- Cites hall, 772 and ralph k. andrist, eds., the american heritage: history of the 20's & 30'
- Analyzes w. o. saunders' "me and my flapper daughters," the american magazine, 104, august 1927.
- Describes ellen welles page's appeal to parents, outlook 132, dec. 6, 1922.
- Analyzes how the gibson girl was inspired by charles dana gibson's drawings. the attrition rate in the trenches left few with the hope of returning home.
- Explains that the term "flapper" first appeared in great britain after world war i. it was used to describe young girls who had not yet entered womanhood.
- Describes how the flappers' image consisted of drastic changes in women's clothing and hair. the gibson girl, who prided herself on her long, lush hair, was shocked when the flapper cut her.
- Describes how the flapper attitude was characterized by stark truthfulness, fast living, and sexual behavior.
- Describes how the flapper became respectable among the old and the young. they wore bobbed hair, fringed skirts, and high-heeled "finale hopper" shoes.
1972 wordsRead More - A 1920s Womananalytical essay...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.
In this essay, the author
- Explains how the 1920s brought women's rights along, and the new style that emerged among young women emphasized freedom of movement.
- Explains that women's fashion in the 1920s created a new human being with no morals and values.
- Opines that mental health of youth was to have uninhibited sex life. if you would be well and happy, you must obey your libido.
- Opines that the rebellious act of the younger generation was only the beginning of some great revolution in morals that already began to affect men and women from all ages.
- Explains that women were independent in spirit and looking for good times and self-expression.
- Analyzes how the freedom of the flappers was accelerated by the women's freedom from their households. the rebellious act of freedom that once made them famous was beginning to dwindle.
- Analyzes how the fad wears out when the founders of this movement grew old. the great depression was a bigger problem for these women.
- Analyzes how the 1920s were filled with shock, excitement, social and relationship changes, but by 1929 the flapper was fading out of existence.
- Opines that although the fashion of the flappers vanished, the trends will forever remain in society today. the 1920's influenced young women to dress differently and be free.
- Explains carlisle, rodney p., handbook to life in america, volume vi, the roaring twenties, 1920 to 1929. facts on file, 2009.
- Explains peacock, john, the chronicle of western fashion: from ancient times to the present day.
- Explains that the 1920's were a time filled with trauma, despair, and hardships. women had limited freedoms such as voting, being confined at home and having less than half of the rights men had.
2068 wordsRead More - America after World War Oneexplanatory essayAfter World War One the life style in America changed, this time was known as the Roaring Twenties. During the Roaring Twenties women evolved, in this time it became more acceptable for them to smoke and drink in public. Women had closer body contact while dancing and they had a much greater participation in the workforce. In the twenties there was a group of young women that became known as flappers. They wore shorter dresses with a straight loose silhouette (Scott). The title flapper also proclaimed the freedom of young women. These women were more rebellious; they smoked cigarettes and drank in public. Smoking and drinking were only just a few of the rebellious things women would do during this time. Flappers rejected moral value and the rules of the Victoria Age. During the Roaring Twenties washing machines, vacuums, and canned food made women’s lives easier. Women also gained careers from many different professions, unlike ever before (Howard; Ellis 522-24).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the period following world war one was an exciting time in american history. it was a time to finally let loose, have fun, celebrate, and enjoy all the wonderful things and "modern conveniences."
- Explains how the roaring twenties changed women's life style, and how they became rebellious. they smoked cigarettes and drank in public.
- Explains that the roaring twenties was also known as the jazz age. a new type of music called jazz was created by african american musicians by combining western harmonies with african rhythms.
- Explains how women took advantage of the many new opportunities during the 1920's. they believed it was their right to be heard and participate in politics. by 1929, the journey had begun to political equality.
- Explains that henry ford wished to make cars that all americans could afford. he accomplished his goal by creating cars on an assembly line.
- Explains that movies and radio played a large role in the changes in america during the twenties.
- Explains the dramatic change in women's fashion in the 1920s. corsets and bustles used to be at the center of women’s clothing, but the twenties changed. poorer women took up dressmaking since they could not afford high-price retail clothes.
- Explains that america experienced a huge transformation in the years following world war one. these changes include many aspects of everyday life.
- Cites benner, l., "women in the 1920s in north carolina."
- Narrates how robert mohler's personal interview on "movies become big business in the 1920s." voa.
825 wordsRead More - Freedom in America from World War I to the 1950sexplanatory essayBefore the 1920's, life for women was very different. Women were unable to enjoy the privileges that men had and they were looked down upon and known merely as domestic workers. Now, during the 20's, life for women changed drastically. With new technology and appliances being created, women were left with a lot of free time to spare. They began seeking personal pleasure and expressing their individual and sexual freedom. Many took on the title as a "flapper;" dressing provocatively, smoking and drinking in public, and practicing birth control methods. Even better, on August 26th, 1920, Amendment 19 was passed giving women the right to vote. The 1920's truly allowed women to be looked at like human beings, rather than slaves to men like they had been in the past.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the years following world war i were very different from the ones leading up to it. between 1920 and 1953, america was undergoing many different changes in its society.
- Explains how the 1920's allowed women to be treated as human beings, rather than slaves to men.
- Explains that blacks in america during the 1920's migrated north seeking ways to prove their usefulness to society. the harlem renaissance was a time when blacks showed their capabilities to the world.
- Explains that the great depression was the greatest economic disaster known in history. the idea of "liberty of contract" or lassiez faire came back into play.
- Explains that roosevelt wanted to help the american people get back on their feet after the great depression — he rejected lassiez faire's idea of economic stability and freedom.
- Explains that the second new deal was created to address the failures of fdr's first new deal, aimed to provide more relief and reform, rather than just recovery.
- Explains that fdr believed it was the americans' duty to aid europe in the war, calling it a "fight for freedom."
- Explains that america, being a capitalist country allowing the citizens to do what they please, wanted to stop the spread of communism.
- Explains that the definition of freedom changed frequently between the 1920s and 1950s. after world war i and the cold war, basic freedoms were denied, and people were arrested and put on trials.
1552 wordsRead More - The It Girl - Clara Bowanalytical essayDubbed by Fitzgerald as “the quintessence of what the term ‘flapper’ signifies,” Clara Bow served as the model for all flappers. A flapper was the new woman; attractive, sassy, “worldly-wise, and briefly clad.” The flapper took on an impish and tomboyish, at lead for their time, attitude. They danced on tables, rendering the recklessness of the new youth. But modern women proved to be a danger for the conventionalism of America. They influenced the change on women’s rights, what was considered moral, and what was considered appropriate for women. These issues had previously been for making a timid woman; upon the coming of the modern woman, these issues made for a modernist female.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how clara bow was america's new, young movie actress of the 1920s. her contagious and popular attitude came with its weaknesses, dealing with fame and the motion picture industry.
- Explains that clara bow served as the model for all flappers. the flapper took on an impish and tomboyish attitude and danced on tables, rendering the recklessness of the new youth.
- Analyzes how clara bow's fame did not leave her nature tainted, in a sense. she remained self-less and ignorant to fame and those in its power.
- Analyzes how clara's experience with the motion picture industry gives us a picture of what it was like in the 1920’s. it was new and intriguing, enticing and corrupt.
- Explains that clara bow was the it girl that the young women of the 1920's strived to emanate. her vibrant and reckless youth transformed the women, throwing jeopardy at america’s prior conventional issues.
455 wordsRead More