Roaring Twenties Argumentative Essay

Flappers, known for their short hair, short dresses, and rebellious attitudes towards traditional gender roles, showed a new generation of women who were unafraid to challenge societal norms and expectations, paving the way for greater gender equality in the decades to come. The rise of flappers is considered a "cultural revolution" as it challenged traditional gender roles and norms, inspiring a new generation of women to break free from societal constraints. Working in the men's world during the war gave women a taste of financial independence and a desire for social change. This proves that the emergence of flappers was progressive because women were able to break away from traditional gender roles and prove that they were just as capable as men in the workforce. Their choices of fashion, such as bobbed hair and short dresses, were considered very outrageous by people who held onto traditional values.

In the beginning of the 1920s, women began to adopt new lifestyles that were careless, exciting, and scandalous. These women were called flappers, women who rejected the traditional cult of domesticity and Victorian Era values and began to wear risque outfits for the first time, smoke, drink, and turn to actions that promoted self-indulgence and gratification. The start of the new women lifestyle led to a significant rise in the discussion of gender equality and the quality of life. The passage of the 19th Amendment secured women’s right to vote. This opportunity gave women a voice in the government that was unheard of before, but also played into the gender equality argument that would gain support in the upcoming years.

Women were now being called Flappers because of their short clothing, stylish black bobs, wearing heavy make-up, dancing, drinking, and smoking. “In 1890’s Britain, in fact,“flapper” described a very young prostitute, and after the turn of the century, it was used on both sides of the Atlantic for cheeky, prepubescent girls whose long braids, the New York Time reported, “flapped in the wind” (“The original “It Girl”, Web.b.ebscohost.com). This quote proves “Flappers” had a bad connotation, but then the word evolved across the world into showing freedom from a restricted lifestyle. “It was a form of youth rebellion, a project of liberation, and it didn’t go unnoticed.” (“How Flappers Rebelled Through Feminism And Consumerism”, bi.edu).

By going against the normal everyday appearance, flappers made a statement and forced the world to see women as individuals who were capable of anything. Over this

Before the roaring 20s women had the jobs such as staying home and taking care of children,making food for the family,cleaning etc. The changing role of women really changed because the work they did during the war. In the 1920s the number of working women increased by 25%, that’s crazy how the number of working women increased by a big 25%. Another big change that happened during the 1920s was that women were given something that they worked very hard to get….VOTING. In the 1920s there was a new type of women known as the Flappers.

The roaring twenties was a time of great growth and prosperity. Full of fun times, great music, and amazing dancers. People came up with new terms such as “green door” which meant “having a good time”. Young women who wore skirts, had short hair, and listened to jazz music were nicknamed “flappers.

Women in the 1920s finally gave rest to the strict rules of upholding societal morals by setting a spark in the word flappers. Flappers were young party girls, who were known for their rebellious acts. They smoked and drank in public, as well as changed their style too much shorter and looser fitting clothes. You may be wondering why flappers had such an impact in the 1920s and more importantly the controversy that came with their uprising. Flappers were a distinct social and cultural phenomenon of the “roaring twenties” leaving a lasting impression on the style and culture of that era.

In the 1920s there were bold, venturesome, dauntless young women who broke society's idea of women standards to change the whole American culture. The book, Flapper, by Joshua Zeitz discusses the effects that books, movies, and celebrities of this time, had on the average women, which caused this era of flappers. These young women known as flappers weren’t the only change that the post World War One era brought. Throughout the book, these changes are brought up from religion to morals, to other changes, and these changes are what would completely develop new social norms in America.

They were asserting their rights to make personal choices” (Zeits, 69). Women who lived in the United States, especially flappers, often faced misogyny and condescension, however, they managed to successfully construct a vigorous, independent women, who was soon to become the future of America. For centuries, women in America had been expected to wear long dresses that covered their knees, and tight corsets that extenuates one's waist, which provided an “inviting” hourglass figure. The constraining clothing that women wore depicted the way they were treated before the flappers.

Many women in the early 1900’s sought for change. Some rose to power and took leadership over many organizations that pushed for equality. Women’s battle for voting rights was specifically led by Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Alice Paul. These women devoted most of their life to create a foundation which we live upon today. Women’s struggles lasted many decades until they finally achieved some equality under the 19th amendment.

Since early ages, mothers have always criticized the ways their daughters acted. In the 1920s criticisms were taken a step further by the flappers, who completely revolutionized the view on females. Flappers in the 1920s had an impact on women for the future. Who they were, what they wore, and what their morals were was how their impacts changed the future for all the females. “The term "flapper" originated in the 1920s and refers to the fashion trend for unfastened rubber galoshes that "flapped" when walking, an attribution reinforced by the image of the free-wheeling flapper in popular culture.”

The Roaring Twenties, characterized as a progressive era toward changes and advances, it was a start for freedom and independence for women. Women gained political power by gaining the right to vote. They changed their traditional way to be, way to act and dress to gain respect, and the liberty of independence. Society had different ways of ideals and the ways women were willing to do were disapproved of, and it was wrong for lots of different people, including women from the older generation. In the 1920’s women went through a lot of changes that made them a free spirit, changes that made them what they are now and having the liberty of being independent.

Attendance rates doubled in high schools and colleges offered more classes for students; more women attended universities. With a new change in clothing, such as wearing skirts and exposing more skin, women started a sexual liberation movement that allowed all women to take a stand. “Flapper fashion was both a trend and a social statement, a deliberate parting of ways with rigid Victorian gender roles, which emphasized plain living, hard work, and religion, to embrace consumerism and personal choice,” (The Culture of the Roaring Twenties). This was a point of

In the 1920s women succeeded well but not without some struggles. Along the way with 19th amendment being so hard for them gaining the right to vote, women’s roles seeing that there not good enough for other than housework and the fashion or style movement with being able not to express yourself the way you should. The 19th Amendment better known as the women’s suffrage era 1920 of the united states

Finally in 1920, the nineteenth amendment was presented and allowed the women in the United States the right to vote (Kirk, G. & Okazawa-Rey, M. (2013). When thinking about how the women felt about not be able to speak up with voting situations is horrible. We are truly blessed that there were women who spoke their mind and changed the women’s lives for the