"The Flapper": Tradition vs. Modernity in the 1920s
- Rosie Jayde Uyola
- 23 hours ago
- 3 min read
Target: I can explain the social changes of the 1920s by comparing a "Flapper's" defense of her lifestyle to a political cartoon criticizing modern youth.
Key Vocabulary
The "Roaring Twenties": A nickname for the 1920s because of the booming economy, loud Jazz music, and wild social changes.
The Flapper: The symbol of the "New Woman" in the 1920s. She had short "bobbed" hair, wore short skirts, smoked, drank alcohol, and rejected traditional rules for women.
Traditional vs. Modern: The main conflict of the 1920s. Older Americans (Traditional) wanted to keep strict religious and moral rules. Younger Americans (Modern) wanted freedom, fun, and science.
The "Double Standard": A set of principles granting greater sexual freedom to men than to women. The Flapper fought against this by acting "like a man" (drinking/smoking).
Part 1: Do Now (5 minutes)
Directions: Read the prompt below and write a 5-8 sentence response.
Prompt: Think about the way your grandparents or parents dress and act compared to people your age. Do older people ever complain that your generation is "disrespectful" or "wild" just because you dress differently or listen to different music? Why does every generation think the new generation is "bad"? |
Sentence Starter: Older people often complain because they think our clothes/music are... I think every generation feels this way because they are afraid of...
Part 2: Analyzing the Sources
Directions: Analyze the two documents below and then answer the questions that follow.
Source 1: Ellen Welles Page, "A Flapper's Appeal to Parents" (1922)
Context: In 1922, a young woman wrote this article in a magazine to explain to older Americans why she acted the way she did. She argues she isn't "bad," just modern.
Original Text | Simplified Text |
"If one judges by appearances, I suppose I am a flapper. I am within the age limit. I wear bobbed hair, the badge of flapperhood. (And, oh, what a comfort it is!)... I intend to get the most out of life. Think back to the time when you were struggling for the vote... We are the Next Generation... We are the young people that is going to be the active principles in the world... We have a right to our own opinions. We have a right to our own lives." | "If you look at me, I guess I am a flapper. I am young. I have short 'bobbed' hair, which is the badge of a flapper. (And it is so much more comfortable!)... I plan to enjoy my life. Think back to when you were young and fighting for the right to vote... We are the Next Generation. We are going to be the ones running the world soon... We have a right to our own opinions. We have a right to live our own lives." |
Source 2: Political Cartoon - "Dancing to the Devil's Tune" (1920s)
Context: Many religious and traditional Americans believed that the new "Jazz Age" culture was destroying the morals of the country.
Analysis Questions
Directions: Answer the writing questions and the two Multiple Choice questions.
1. According to Source 1, why does Ellen Welles Page say she wears "bobbed hair"? What does she argue the "Next Generation" has a right to?
Sentence Starter: She wears bobbed hair because it is a "badge of..." and it is... She argues that the Next Generation has a right to their own...
2. Look at Source 2. How does the cartoonist view Jazz music? (Is it positive or negative?)
Sentence Starter: The cartoonist views them negatively because he shows... This suggests that traditional people believed Jazz music was...
Regents-Style Multiple Choice
3. The emergence of the "Flapper" in the 1920s best illustrates which major social change?
(1) The return to traditional Victorian values
(2) The refusal of young women to vote in elections
(3) The challenge to traditional gender roles and social norms
(4) The impact of the Great Depression on fashion
4. The conflict between the views in Source 1 (Modern) and Source 2 (Traditional) is most similar to the conflict over:
(1) The Scopes "Monkey" Trial (Science vs. Religion)
(2) The passage of the Homestead Act
(3) The building of the Transcontinental Railroad
(4) The ratification of the Bill of Rights
Part 3: Exit Ticket (5 minutes)
Directions: Answer the following prompt in a complete paragraph (5-8 sentences).
Prompt: Using evidence from both sources, explain the "Culture War" of the 1920s. How was the Flapper (Source 1) a symbol of the conflict between tradition and modernity (Source 2)? |
Sentence Starter: The 1920s was a "Culture War" between old and new. The Flapper (Source 1) represented the "new" because she demanded the right to... However, traditional Americans (Source 2) hated this because they believed... This shows that while the economy was "roaring," Americans were divided over...
