Alice Roosevelt Nonconformism
As the first daughter to president Theodore Roosevelt and wife to Speaker of the House Nicholas Longworth, many could say that Alice Roosevelt was set for life. It would have been very easy for her to conform to the societal ideal as the respectable and demure daughter, and later wife, to politically powerful men. It is extremely unlikely anyone thought she would become known as the most rebellious first daughter or to continuously gain international headlines (Donahue). Alice constantly challenging tradition and what society expected from her is why she was considered a nonconformist.
The joy of Alice’s birth was quickly overshadowed by tragedy, when both her mother and paternal grandmother died in the two days following February 18, 1884 …show more content…
Alice has a very blunt way of speaking and her word had a tendency to be extremely sharp (Coletta 239). No one was spared from unflattering comparisons or uncaring insults, not even herself. Her attitude towards polite small talk and false compliments might be best summed up by the infamously embroidered pillow she owned stating “If you haven't got anything good to say about anyone, come and sit by me.” While Alice was not purposefully cruel, she did not care for censuring herself in order to spare someone’s feeling the way women were expected to in such times. As such, she had little time for people with thin skin.
Alice’s outspokenness was not just limited to casual conversations either. She was considered a political force (Coletta 239) and well known for her political wit during a time where women did not even have the right to vote. She opposed the idea of women being confined to cooking and children, had no patience for racism, and often advised her father on foreign diplomacy. Later in life, Alice’s opinion on someone could have such an impact, it could either make or break someone's political career.
For all of theses reasons and more, many began widening their notion of what was socially acceptable for a woman to do as a result. Alice Roosevelt’s nonconformist attitude helped establish a fertile ground for later women’s rights movements to plant themselves in. It may not have been her intention but it was definately a consequence of her
The joy of Alice’s birth was quickly overshadowed by tragedy, when both her mother and paternal grandmother died in the two days following February 18, 1884 …show more content…
Alice has a very blunt way of speaking and her word had a tendency to be extremely sharp (Coletta 239). No one was spared from unflattering comparisons or uncaring insults, not even herself. Her attitude towards polite small talk and false compliments might be best summed up by the infamously embroidered pillow she owned stating “If you haven't got anything good to say about anyone, come and sit by me.” While Alice was not purposefully cruel, she did not care for censuring herself in order to spare someone’s feeling the way women were expected to in such times. As such, she had little time for people with thin skin.
Alice’s outspokenness was not just limited to casual conversations either. She was considered a political force (Coletta 239) and well known for her political wit during a time where women did not even have the right to vote. She opposed the idea of women being confined to cooking and children, had no patience for racism, and often advised her father on foreign diplomacy. Later in life, Alice’s opinion on someone could have such an impact, it could either make or break someone's political career.
For all of theses reasons and more, many began widening their notion of what was socially acceptable for a woman to do as a result. Alice Roosevelt’s nonconformist attitude helped establish a fertile ground for later women’s rights movements to plant themselves in. It may not have been her intention but it was definately a consequence of her