1920s Flapper Research Paper

The 1920s flapper was a female who went against the status quo and did what she wanted to do, whenever she wanted to do it. She empowered herself and others around her and went against the norms society tried to place on her. The flapper of the 1920s was not the very first flapper, but she certainly is one to remember. The 1920s flapper emerged during the Era of Prohibition, which lasted from 1920 to 1933, which made illegal the manufacture and sale (but not consumption) of alcoholic beverages. The society they knew was changing and they were changing with it. “Flapper behaviour, and their unwillingness to conform to social expectations, helped to redefine women’s roles in the 1920s,” which brought a new wave of feminism to the United States. Flappers brought with them a new sense of style and a push for social equality and liberation. …show more content…
A “flapper” is something that jogs your memory, an object that swats flies away, and an animal that tries to fly. However, in the 1920s, with the ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment, a new type of woman was born, known as the “flapper”. Just like the definition of the word “flapper” changed over the years, so did the women of the 1920s. “The flappers versatility is due to her experiences in so many forms of life. It’s all part of her original nature, combined with the forces of her environment. She is the evolution of a type which has been in the making three hundred years.” Before prohibition, women were confined to the household and their duties were within the domestic sphere. These duties included cleaning the house, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, cooking, and taking care of the children. With the Era of Prohibition in full swing, women began to evolve and transform the way they go about their everyday