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Femininity In The 1920's

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New media such as the film industry also gave men a “new definition” into the “male appearance” and its importance and variations in the public eye. Masculine appearance now rejected the clothed modesty of the Victorian Age, to the point that by 1930, men no longer wore swimming clothes that “covered the upper part of the body,” a celebration of the male physique and in many cases their sexuality that evolved through the 1920s. Instead of written rules and dictations of courtship, new social mores now declared that “the peer group” would now define “appropriate sexual behavior,” that courtship as a manner of relationships between men and women would now fade as the concept of dating would take its place. This “driving [of] courtship” into …show more content…

Recognizable for looser moral behavior, the flapper wore revealing clothing desiring a body type focused on androgyny and cut her hair into a short style framing the face. Typically found in urban areas and practiced by “young, single women,” the flapper forcibly distorted the divisions “between working class and middle class femininity,” yet this was not a purposeful social cause such as what led to the passage of the 19th Amendment. Concerned mostly with individual actions and rebellions, the flapper stayed “oblivious to the problems” of the 1920 and was not a “political identity” at all but rather a youth movement that did not include or consider the feminists of the previous decade that pushed for female suffrage; in fact not equate their “femininity with gender equality” in American society. As the Great Depression hit, however, the behavior of men and women changed drastically. This economic downturn led to a return to traditional forms of femininity with the safety of marriage, and though criticized under the eyes of “revolutionaries,” remained the unshakeable basis for American society until the 1960s. And yet American men and women in the Great Depression of the 1930s faced serious questions regarding their gender roles in marriage and the home as the crisis

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The 1920 's is remembered and referred to as the "Jazz Age," or the "Era of the Lost Generation," which had its share of cultural conflicts between many groups and organizations. In the article of The New Woman and Politics of the 1920 's, by Lynn Dumenil, he explains how the "new woman" of the era also know as a "Flapper," was a symbol for women 's roles in society. The article states that "women 's participation in the workforce, and the political activism of these newly enfranchised citizens, offers a vehicle for broadening our understanding of the social, economic, and political developments of the era. " When the article mentions "women 's participation" this to me, became a major influence to changes in American politics, society and

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640 Words | 3 Pages

The 1920’s – a decade frequently referred to as the “Roaring Twenties” – flourished with great social and political change. During this period, the wealth of America doubled, changing the lives of the regular working class and establishing a new consumer culture (“The Roaring Twenties”). Along with this new American society emerged the “New Woman.” This prominent female figure was independent, educated, and often uninterested in traditional female roles such as marriage and motherhood (“The Roaring Twenties”). The New Woman was mirrored in the flapper, which is arguably the most recognizable icon of the 1920’s.

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174 Words | 1 Pages

The 1920s, the age of fun, the “années folles” said the French, meaning the “Crazy Years” of the United States. Following the economic boom that came after the victory of World War I, the Roaring Twenties era emphasized new art, social boundaries, and cultural vitality. Throughout this decade Georgia O’Keeffe was creating her most popular works yet, such as the Black Iris (1926) and Oriental Poppies (1928). The very first of these is her Grey Line with Black, Blue, and Yellow creation. What these have in common is the staple of O'Keefe's art - flowers that represent femininity but also in a way that was audaciously sexual.

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539 Words | 3 Pages

Flappers in the 1920’s, were the party goers of the decade. When women were given the right to vote women thought if men can go out all night, drinking, partying and sleeping with whoever they wanted, women could too. The styles of their clothes and hair changed drastically from the early 1900’s to the 1920’s. The hair of the 1900’s was long locks of Victorian women, but when equal rights were allowed women cut their long hair into a Bobbs. The clothes of the 1900’s were long and elegant, touching the ground, but the same thing happened.

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2052 Words | 9 Pages

This paper looks at the 2001 film Chicago and its relevancy to historical events and thoughts. The film takes place in the 1920s, while the 18th Amendment was in full swing. It was a controversial point in American history that exhibited the limits of government involvement in American morality. American citizens objected to this, particularly “flapper girls”, who openly drank smoked, and partook in other rebellious activities in public in opposition to the roles of women in society. Some fundamentalist Americans had a difficult time letting go of these traditional roles, and for that reason, women in crime were treated differently due to the idea that women were thought to have had a higher standard of morals than men.

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Flapper: “The woman of the 1920’s boldly asserted her right to dance, drink, smoke, and to work. Her own property, to live free of strictures that governed her mother's generation. Since the beginning of time society has changed drastically, with some years seeming to differ more than others. Although three time periods that seem to stand out to me are the 1920’s era, 1980’s, and 21st century. All three time periods the United states have grown and made our nation what it is today.

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Women in the 1930s were trying to keep jobs and were working day and night trying to keep their family’s some food in their homes, because many women could not get jobs because they were not married. Many women had quit their jobs because they went low on money because they had to share it with other women. They did this so other women would have an enough to pay their bills and get food and clothes. Women were forced to do homework if they did not have any jobs. Some women left home because they were forced to work while men were not doing anything.

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Women suffrage has been present through out American History. Our culture forces women to fall into certain stereotypes. Mary Tyrone, in Eugene O’Neil ’s Long day journey into the night, struggles with certain cultural surroundings that messes with her psychological state. Gender roles for women, including isolation and obeying the man of the house, is what eventually leads to her drug abuse and causes her to ignore her reality by escaping into the past.

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Although “old sport” is used quite often, there are many other slang words and phrases that can be found in the book. Some examples include: Bee’s knees (big thing, great awesome), ritzy (fancy), hoofer (dancer), and flapper (modern young women from the 1920’). Even though these appear to be unfamiliar expressions to most of the modern audiences, there are a few that are still used today: Gold-digger (a person that marries someone else just to acquire their spouse’s money), and bunch (many, as in people).

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791 Words | 4 Pages

The iconic “flapper” look started when Coco Chanel dressed in a man’s sweater with a belt around the waist. This act spurred on a new fashion trend and led to women driving vehicles, smoking, drinking, and acting more sexual. When women were getting ready for the day, they had to dress accordingly with what they were going to be doing. For household chores, women would wear a simple cotton dress with black cotton stockings and Oxford heels. Streetwear often consisted of a skirt, blouse, and a sweater.

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2450 Words | 10 Pages

The Roaring Twenties as seen by F. Scott Fitzgerald Introduction When you say „The Roaring Twenties” there are a thousand ideas that come in your mind :jazz music, parties, prosperity, wealth, opulence, luxury, consumer society. Also, the first figure that pops up in your mind is F. Scott Fitzgerald. The period between 1920 and 1930 had a great impact on the American history, as it was a time of change in many aspects. I. The 20s

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711 Words | 3 Pages

Looking at everything from the style of the clothing people wore to what influenced these styles to come about. When people think of women in the 1920s, minds automatically turn to idea of rebellious flappers and a more scandalous portrayal of women. The Fashion Sourcebook 1920s does a great job of explaining the issue of what many people today think of when they think of the 20s. People hear anything about the 1920s and immediately think all women dressed like flappers.

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1248 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout the 1920’s, a new era of social culture was emerging in America as it recovered from its involvement in the First World War. Young Americans in the nation's cities rejected social traditions by embracing a modern culture of freedom. America seemed to break its attachments to the recent past and start in a more modern era. Within this era, society was dominated by the desire to express oneself and live lavishly. This new pursuit of freedom displayed within the evolution of teens, the changing roles and morals of women, and an increased obsession with entertainment.

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244 Words | 1 Pages

The purpose of this paper is to examine the socio-economic changes in the United States and western Europe during the 1920s with a direct focus on the new woman, the ‘flapper’, and her specific lifestyle as well as analysing how this is presented in the novel “Save Me the Waltz” (1932) by Zelda Fitzgerald, a self-proclaimed flapper. Accounting for the 1920s and the flapper, it seemed this new status, which the women had achieved was a liberation, however, through a thorough analysis of the setting and characters of “Save Me the Waltz”, it became clear that even though women had certain liberties, society was still predominantly ruled by masculine values which saw women as objects and her strive for identity as a farce. In a discussion about

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In the 1910’s, women were still wearing floor-length dresses. Waists were cinched, with the arms and legs covered. Corsets were a routine and having long hair was the standard. This Victorian look was the idealized image of beauty at that time. The Victorian attitude towards dressings created a strict moral climate.

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