As we enter the 2020s, we are inadvertently reminded of the “Roaring 20s”- a decade preceding us by exactly a century that was an era of significant economic and most importantly, cultural boom in the history of the United States and Europe. This decade proudly hosts the crème de la crème of cultural revolutions in the likes of the blossoming of Jazz music, Harlem Renaissance and first wave feminists more popularly known as flappers. These fun loving, short haired, boldly dressed women redefined the modern American woman.
https://vintagedancer.com/1920s/1920s-flappers/
These jazz loving ‘disdainful’ women were rebels who constantly questioned social constructs, and pushed the boundaries of economic, political and sexual freedom for women.
Dancing in the Moonlight
As soon as we think of the word “flapper,” we conjure up the image of a playful young woman sporting a bob haircut, wearing dresses shorter than ever, cigarette dangling from her painted lips, dancing away the night. Jazz and dance became such an integral part of the flapper girls that it gave birth to the “garçonne look”- a new form of fashion that allowed women to flaunt their assets while dancing freely. The heroine of Nella Larsen’s Passing is an example of a flapper who “bobbed her hair, drank cocktails, raised her hemlines, and danced in speakeasies.” Although that is an accurate representation of their outlook, there is more to flappers than just their appearances. These jazz loving ‘disdainful’ women were rebels who constantly questioned social constructs, and pushed the boundaries of economic, political and sexual freedom for women.
Author of her own Destiny
During World War I, women entered the workforce in large numbers in the absence of men, receiving higher wages and contributing in their own way to the war. However, when the war was over and men returned to the workforce, these women who had had a taste of freedom and life outside home refused to return to the original social structure.
Moreover, August 1920 marked a significant date for American women with the passage of the 19th Amendment, giving women the right to vote. Women began attending college. By 1929, more than a quarter of all women were resourcefully employed, earning more wage than ever (though still woefully less than men).
The flapper girls are the epitome of sexual prowess.
Sex and the City
The advent of the flappers gave new meaning to feminine sexuality. The end of World War I saw the loss of a large number of young men that left a whole generation of young women without possible suitors. As a result, these young women decided to take matters in their own hands and go on dates and “petted” with different young men, to enjoy their lives.
Birth control was also made more accessible to women during this time period, giving them a chance to explore their sexuality more freely without the fear of getting pregnant. The flapper girls are the epitome of sexual prowess. As Emily Bernard describes in her introduction of Passing, Clara is “sexualized” and “her body is evidence of sexual taboo.” Clara claims the identity of a sensual, sexy flapper girl of the roaring 20s.
However, there were limits to the flappers’ freedom. The fear of losing their reputation still loomed large and marriage always remained the end goal which made them extremely cautious about their sexual activities.
We will hopefully see more of the flapper girl in the form of Clare, who according to Bernard “was the embodiment of first-wave feminist ideals” who “thumbed her nose at gender conventions by questioning traditional marriage, sometimes wearing men’s clothes and smoking. She behaved as if she was the author of her own destiny”
Who runs the world? Flapper girls!
The flappers paved the path for modern day feminists and and are still iconic for their contribution in generations of women’s lives all over the world. In the end, every girl wants to secretly be a flapper. And why not? Who wouldn’t want to create a revolution to secure secular and social freedom while scandalizing the world. After all, why should boys have all the fun?
Further Readings:
How Flappers Rebelled Through Feminism And Consumerism
The claim that “Clara claims the identity of a sensual sexy flapper girl of the roaring 20s” stood out to me because it made me think about how Irene perceives Clara in the novel. Could it be said that Irene’s attitude towards Clara, and the way she is captivated and intrigued by everything that Clara says and does, is attributed to this aspect of her identity (as a “sexy flapper girl”)? Also, at times during the novel, Irene seem vexed and somewhat threatened by Clara, could this also be attributed to her identity?
To add on to this:
Does Irene long to transgress social boundaries in some ways? Why or why not?
I found it interesting when you compared Clare’s identity to a flapper girl. This is because the flapper girl lifestyle was associated with young upper-class white women. People of lower classes were preoccupied with the progress of an economic crisis in the 1920s. Clare “passes” so that she can enjoy the lifestyle of a flapper girl and escape her poor background.
Also, a lot of feminists at the time criticised the flappers’ embracement of sexuality as a step back in women’s rights. Yet, it can be argued that flappers inspired a feminist attitude towards sexual freedom for women. I think it has to with the different views of feminism that are evident still today (sex positive vs. sex negative feminism).
Great post Rubaiya. I love this era and can’t wait to explore it in further detail in “Passing” and “The Great Gatsby”. Thinking about flapper girls in the ’20s one can see a possible connection with Clare as the protagonist of the novel. This is very interesting if we think about the multiple identities which Clare tries to juggle. How does our perception of Clare change when we think of her as a black-passing-for-white woman, a “sexy flapper girl” and an early feminist?
To respond to Shamma’s comment, I think that Irene is fascinated by Clare’s confidence and personality. Her annoyance with her might stem from her frustration with herself, because she realizes she does not have the same courage and spirit to explore her identities and to be as open as Clare.
This is an excellent question:
“How does our perception of Clare change when we think of her as a black-passing-for-white woman, a “sexy flapper girl” and an early feminist?”
The realistic style of this novel, and the fact that it is Irene’s perspective, can hide the deep complexities (and contradictions) of character, motivation, and layered conflicts. Trying to look at each character through multiple lenses can help you access that complexity.
Thanks for this post, Rubaiya!
If others are interested to know more about African-American women and the 19th amendment (the right for women to vote), see historical work done by scholar Martha Jones. Here is a short interview with her on the long history of black women organizing and activism around voting rights: https://hub.jhu.edu/2020/02/21/martha-jones-19th-amendment-2499-em1-art1-dtd-voices/.
And for fun viewing, see this short video of a 1929 fashion show in Harlem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWqgPrpzat0