The Influence Of Flappers In The 1920's

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“It was an age of miracles, it was an age of art, it was an age of excess, it was an age of satire” (Fitzgerald). The 1920s, otherwise known as the “Roaring Twenties,” was a significant time full of innovation in film and visual art. Young people accomplished their independence by experimenting with new ideas and ways of living. With that came the Flapper; she danced to jazz music and wore short skirts. Also, in the book Flappers, written by Kelly Boyer Sagert, she displayed characteristics and actions of the typical flapper; “they bound their breasts, in radical contrast to the Gibson girl curves; bared their arms; neglected to clinch their waists; wore flashy stockings, and painted their faces with bright and bold cosmetics” (Sagert 2). By going against the normal everyday appearance, flappers made a statement and forced the world to see women as individuals who were capable of anything. Over this …show more content…

There also was an increase in money spent on leisure activities, and there were new styles of music and dance within films and during everyday life. From 1920-1929 weekly movie attendance increased by over forty million people (Sagert xiv). The increase in movie attendance was directly correlated with the invention of sound for films. The transition to sound-on-film technology occurred mid-decade with the talkies developed in 1926-1927. Throughout most of the decade, silent films were the predominant product of the film industry. The landmark motion picture The Jazz Singer (1927) was immensely popular because it, as a sound film, ushered in the talking motion picture. As the arts began to highlight new forms and statements previously used in media, they began to diminish the importance of following traditions in society and the invention of sound in movies is just one example of how the 1920s impacted an entire