1920s Flappers Essay

On the other hand, critics of the era often argued that the flapper’s influence had a negative impact on shifting social norms of the 1920s because she exhibited reckless and illegal behavior during a time of rising economic inequality and debauchery. They criticized flappers for essentially “eroding the moral fabric of society” (DiPaolo). Victorian Americans believed the rebellious women misused their new sense of social freedom by mimicking the most disgraceful habits of men: including smoking cigarettes, illegally drinking, despite Prohibition, and avoiding household responsibilities (Pick). During the Roaring 20s, the rebellious sound of jazz music influenced popular culture and flappers since it was perfect to dance to in night clubs (Pick).
These claims show how radical the flapper appeared to her elders (Zietz 6). Until the 1920s, not many women ever left home, especially at night to go to saloons (Page 667). In 1904, women could have been arrested for lighting up cigarettes in NY (Zietz 6), yet by 1929, “some railroad companies formally abolished their prohibition against women smokers in dining cars” (Leuchtenburg 158). This was evidence that flappers created positive changes in America by helping gain political and social independence. Moreover, it was wrong for critics to associate certain notorious flappers to the entire community. In “A Flapper’s Appeal to Parents,” Ellen Page defended the morality of her culture by arguing that not all flappers were careless in their actions, and that she never illegally smoked or consumed alcohol (Page 667). Even though she enjoyed attending co-ed gatherings, she insisted that a flapper’s leisure activities were harmless that did not necessarily lead to immoral behavior (Page 667). Indeed, the flapper’s free spirited and passionate lifestyle was an expression of youthful