1920s Flappers Research Paper

In the dynamic era of the 1920s, a new, modern women emerged from society. This woman threw out the Victorian image of what women would be expected to look like and act like before this time period. World War I essentially changed the lifestyle for the women of America. The men during this time were accustomed to the “living-on-edge” type of lifestyle due to the riskiness of fighting in the war. They knew that each day they lived could be their last, so they lived their lives to the fullest by drinking and partying excessively. The women had broken many social barriers, such as gaining the right to vote, attending college more than men, putting off marriage, and entered new professions, while the men were at war, so when the war ended and the men returned home, everyone found it quite difficult
Truthfully, the flappers made up a small percentage of the women during this time, and the flapper image was greatly amplified by the media, which is why the flappers have a great impact on the collective memory of the 1920s today. There was such a radical rebellion against the society and culture associated with the true flapper, that only a small number of women would be willing to fully accept it. Most women would modify the characteristics of a flapper to a much smaller scale and apply them to their own lives (Peterson). The rebellious flappers rebelled against the usual image of a Victorian women by cutting their hair short, wearing make-up, wearing short dresses, smoking, drinking, and going to parties. One of the things largely associated with the flapper is the Charleston, which is a form of dance that became popular in speakeasies all across the country during the 1920s. The image of the flapper along with the dancing and the music of the Jazz Age really demonstrates the care-free lifestyle of the flappers after the war (“Flappers Do the