She cut her hair, wore makeup, and donned revealing dresses. She partied. She engaged in affairs. She smoked and drank excessively. She was the flapper. A new breed of unladylike individuals had emerged, defying all conventional rules of the public. Women embraced the newfound societal freedoms of the Roaring Twenties, embarking on a path towards equality with men. Flappers redefined American femininity, rejecting traditional, conservative Victorian gender roles and instead engaging in stereotypically immoral activities. They were cultural heroines, and yet they embodied the very dangers of the modern era.
Society viewed flappers as a threat to its established ethics. Ideologically rooted in liberalism, the new perception of women appeared throughout American media and entertainment, often glamourized and romanticized. Adolescent girls now saw flappers as a new role model, and they declared themselves as a new “hope for the future.” The rising generation of females scoffed at their passive, pristine, passé counterparts, rebelling against the system itself. Life was now loud and fast-paced, viewed by the older class as savage and corrupt. Young girls decided that they were tired of waiting for a man that might never come and opted to live their lives in the moment and as they pleased while they still could. In this way, they were by-products of larger social and political battles such as race and religion as well as gender.
Flappers consisted of young, urban, middle-class women. The emergence of pink-collar jobs from the Gilded Age saw an increase in single women working. The 1920s was also a time in which they could go to college or work in place of their husbands who were off at war. Even afterwards, they were not ready to give up their lives beyond homemaking and pushed for equal opportunities. Many sought to absolve the double standards of gender and thus engaged and experimented socially in ways such as hosting and starring in “petting parties” in which foreplay was the main attraction. In addition, women’s rights activists like Alice Paul pushed for the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, which would guarantee “equal justice under law” for women. Though highly controversial at its time, the act was generally supported by middle-class women. Although it failed to pass, the mere introduction of the ERA to Congress was a step forward.
single women working. The 1920s was also a time in which they could go to college or work in place of their husbands who were off at war. Even afterwards, they were not ready to give up their lives beyond homemaking and pushed for equal opportunities. Many sought to absolve the double standards of gender and thus engaged and experimented socially in ways such as hosting and starring in “petting parties” in which foreplay was the main attraction. In addition, women’s rights activists like Alice Paul pushed for the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, which would guarantee “equal justice under law” for women. Though highly controversial at its time, the act was generally supported by middle-class women. Although it failed to pass, the mere introduction of the ERA to Congress was a step forward.
Flappers made clear their contempt towards what was once seen as acceptable behavior. These women were part of a larger “culture war” of old versus new with liberalism replacing conservatism. To this day, their rejection of austerity is praised and admired, often referred to as the “First Youth Rebellion.” The actions of flappers cultivated an image of total autonomy and reckless abandon. The movement would only end with the onset of the Great Depression in which such lifestyles were too expensive to maintain. However, the then contemporary trends would continue through fashion and underlying social and political ideals. Flappers allowed women of future generations to escape the stereotypes of Victorian femininity.
The New Woman: An Escape from Feminist Betrayal
by Greta Chen