The Roaring In The 1920's

The 1920s were an odd decade in Canada’s history. From an economic slump to an economic boom to the Great Depression, this decade toyed with people’s emotions almost more than any other. Now ‘roaring’ is an interesting way to describe this time period. “Roaring” has several definitions, but the one that pertains to the 20s is ‘prosperity especially of a temporary nature’ (merriam-webster.com). Now this name focuses on the positive events that occurred, and let’s be honest, this was not only a period of rejoice, but one filled with suffering as well. Here’s an interesting fact, people tend to remember and hyperbolize positive events in history, and tend to discard or attempt to forget the negative (psychologytoday.com). No? If a sprinter won …show more content…
With this being said, using the name ‘roaring’ to describe the twenties is a perfect example of people’s instincts to focus on the positive rather than on the negative. Now there are those who would argue that it is not an appropriate name, but the reality of the matter is that it is. The majority of the 1920s were a time of economic growth and radical transformation, which most people remember; hence it’s classification as ‘roaring’. Overall, ‘roaring’ is an appropriate term to describe Canada in the 1920s. Although some would argue that the 1920s were a time of economic disaster, there is compelling evidence to suggest that it was a period of economic growth. Firstly, after the First World War concluded, there was a high demand for Canadian raw materials. This includes wheat harvesting, pulp and paper production and mineral refineries. By 1928, Canada was the single largest exporter of wheat in the world with 567 million …show more content…
Primarily, in the 1920s, a new generation of women were born. They smoked, drank, danced, voted, cut their hair, wore excessive make up and went to parties (slideshare.net). They became giddy and took risks. Women were no the stay-at-home wives with no freedom, nor voice, nor anything else in mind, but their husbands. No! Women were now ambitious, revealing and had a mind of their very own (the younger generation at least). They were just as anxious as the men to avoid returning to society’s standards and roles after the war. The young women did not date, but waited patiently until a proper young man formally paid her interests with suitable intentions (i.e. - marriage). However, nearly a generation of young men passed during the war, leaving nearly a whole generation of women without possible suitors. They decided to not waste their short lives waiting for spinsterhood, and to enjoy life. In short, they were breaking away from their traditional roles. So what? This is the question one might be asking. Formerly, women partaking in drinking, smoking (etc.) would be unacceptable, partly because they had no rights, and partly because no one respected them. This is an enormous step for women. They are proving that they have the