11 B Honors
24 April 2012
Creative Title “If society fits you comfortably enough, you call it freedom.” This quotation from Robert Frost applies to the women in nineteenth century America. It is no secret that women have been considered the weaker sex, but at this point in time they were beginning to make a place for themselves in society. Women showed signs of freedom through their dress and makeup, the drinking and parties they attended, and the achievements in the sports world. The days of women wearing dresses that covered most of their body, pinning up their hair, acting modest, and allowing others to make their decisions for them were fading. By the 1920s, a woman who was independent, demanded equality, and lived with bold self-indulgence was considered a flapper (Jordan). A flapper liked to go on dates, wear makeup, dance, drink alcohol, and smoke cigarettes. She would usually cut her hair in a short bob and wore a dress with a drop waist and a skirt that grew shorter through the decade (Jordan). They could also be seen enjoying the nightlife offered at private parties. Daisy Buchanan and Myrtle Wilson from The Great Gatsby are two women that embody the name of flapper during this time period. When Myrtle is first introduced it says: “she carried her surplus flesh sensuously as some women can…wearing a spotted dress of dark blue crépe-de-chine...” (Fitzgerald 24). Myrtle is a confident woman and does a great job of acting the part of a flapper. Daisy and Myrtle are always attending parties where they do not avoid liquor, cigarettes, or dancing. “The bottle of whiskey-a second one-was now in constant demand by all present…” (Fitzgerald 35). Women are not afraid to make their presence known here or in other parts of society. Women also display their freedom by making their mark on the sports world during the nineteenth century. Females had to compete