Flappers In The 1920s

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In the early 20th century, women were considered to be second class citizens in society and had very little input in the areas of politics and social reform. Women during this time period believed that they deserved to be heard and treated as equals to men and ventured to change the way they would be viewed in society. During the 1920s a “flapper” was considered to be a new type of woman who dressed, behaved, and believed outside of what was considered to be normal for a woman.1 Flappers had come into existence in the 1920s because women wanted to promote full equality between the sexes by setting new boundaries for themselves and challenging what was considered normal for a woman to think and do with her life. During the 1880s, women had …show more content…
Margaret Moos Pick argues that flappers had come into existence because of Prohibition which led women to want to go against the law and drink cocktails. Pick argued that this would eventually lead to women becoming more revealing in their opinions, thoughts, and attire as a result.18 This era known as the “speakeasy-era” had led to not only a revolution in women’s dress, but a revolution in women’s beliefs and actions according to Daniel Okrent the curator of The Rise and Fall of Prohibition.19 The speakeasies were a place for men and women to drink together in public and with that women wanted to break away from the trends which were prevalent in the previous generations.20 Flappers were slowly but surely drifting away from their reputation of being hard workers and housekeepers because of their frequent urge to want to consume alcohol which was against the law and get frisky with other men. According to the author of the article “Flapper,” flappers had challenged women’s traditional societal roles and were considered a significant challenge to traditional Victorian gender roles including the devotion to plain living, hard work, and religion.21 Along with the flappers challenge to Victorian gender roles, Dorothy Dunbar Bromley argues that flappers were "truly modern", "New Style" feminists who "admit that a full life calls for marriage and children" and also "they are moved by an inescapable inner compulsion to be individuals in their own right."22 Bromley states how flappers were both dedicated to the responsibilities of their families and children, but also wanted to prove that they could be the "bread winner" along with their husband. Flappers, although they were so bold and brash, were smart young women who were advocating for their rights and equal treatment. Many members of the press had viewed flappers as admirable and strong empowering women
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