Louise Brooks Research Papers

Lawrence Levine’s “The Folklore of Industrial Society: Popular Culture and it Audience,” examines what popular culture is and how it relates, specifically, to the 1930s. He notes that popular culture is perceived as trash, something for a passive, mindless listener, but rejects this idea completely. Instead, Levine shows how radio, movies, plays, and television unite people, allowing them to feel certain things and relate to the characters. Communities were built around different forms of popular culture, giving individuals the chance to discuss what they heard or saw, take some ideas and reject others, mold the programs into their own lives, and form their own opinions about them. There was nothing passive about these forms popular culture

In the 1920’s, America was evolving into a fun, carefree, and entertaining country – or so many people thought. On the outside, many people observed Americans with prosperity, lavish lives, and new opportunities through new technology and inventions. However, although America seemed to be well off at the time and enjoying life, it was only a slight cover up. Inside the country, there was turmoil which included debt and war. For this reason, America earned the reputation of the 1920’s as the Roaring Twenties due to the positive outcomes of the economic conditions, developments in the arts, and developments in entertainment.

The 1920s, often referred to as the Roaring Twenties, was a time of great change and a time of powerful enthusiasm in many areas of society. The world had just finished the biggest war in history, the First World War, and the United States was left almost unharmed by the war. The United States was able to experience a decade of peace and success following the war. During this decade, America became the wealthiest country in the world (Trueman, 2000). The people in the United States went through a colorful period during the twenties. However, at the same time the 1920s was also a very rebellious and difficult time for many. The culture of the 1920s has influenced the culture of America’s society today.

The early twentieth century was undeniably one of the most exciting and momentous time frame in American history – especially the 1920s. During this eventful decade, the United States went through a series of changes and modifications; as the nation changed, the people also changed. There were also many positive feelings during this era and these feelings changed the way people thought and lived. The Roaring Twenties was a time period that revolutionized the United States because it brought radical changes to society and the daily lives of Americans.

The 1920s was a major turning point in American history. Known as “the roaring twenties”, the citizens of the United States enjoyed the new found wealth from the economic turnaround. The United States’ wealth more than doubled as the nation turned into a consumer society. Not all Americans were fond of the changes in society, and not all of the changes were good.

The 1920’s, also known as the “Jazz Age” or the “Roaring Twenties”, was a time of decadence. The “Roaring Twenties” was common with constant variation in diplomatic, ethnic, and religious standards. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses The Great Gatsby as an account for the unstable time of egotistic pursuits of wealth and satisfaction.

The 1920’s, also known as the “roaring twenties” consisted of multiple movements and changes in attitudes about the formerly traditional values society held during this time period. Shifts with women's suffrage, equality amongst races, and the ending of traditional household roles were prevalent through the years, sparking controversy between those who valued the old and those who valued the new. Significant changes amongst the way women’s suffrage and traditional household values were viewed began to occur during the twenties (Document B). Women were finally seen on the same playing field as men, and although they weren’t considered “equal” by any means, they were making notable progress.

The 1920s was a decade filled with prosperity, chaos, and excitement. During the 1920s, many ground breaking inventions were introduced, such as the Model T Ford, the radio, and the television. The discoveries and cultural developments of the 1920s would go on to shape America for decades to come. The 1920s was arguably one of the most important decades in American history, in regards to the impact it had on American culture and way of life. Such an important decade should have a nickname, thus the 1920s were called the “Roaring 20s.” The decade of the 1920s is referred to as “roaring” because it was a time of dramatic social change, as demonstrated by the birth of a consumer society, the rise of a party culture, and the abandonment of long standing morals.

Anything Goes: A Bibliography of the Roaring Twenties by Lucy Moore and The Modern Temper by Lynn Dumenil are two books that wonderfully captures the essence of the 1920s, with two different texts that hold a different point of view of the era to effectively highlight the important events and characters of the time. Moore focused on the icons that made up the decade, giving her subjective survey of the principal occurrences and characters of the time that depicts The Roaring Twenties as the age of iconic events and people, of talismanic names and episodes that which she openly explores. She gives her perspective on the fascination of the 1920s rather than the catastrophes of it, which is exactly what Dumnil highlights in her own book. The

J. Paul Getty describes the 1920s as “ … the period of that Great American Prosperity which was built on shaky foundations.” The 1920s was an age that consisted of many social and political changes throughout America. The changes occured dramatically in these three different topics: economics, racism, and women’s suffrage. It created more jobs and more opportunities for the American people, fixed the major problems of racism against African Americans, and changed women's norms by making the “housewife” perspective less common, and driving more women towards a rebellious era. These three changes of the 1920s made it to become famously known as “The Roaring ‘20s.”

The Roaring Twenties was a period of intense tension towards the numerous barriers of tradition. Unlike the gradual fluctuations in modern day society which lead tension in its wake, the 1920’s was a bombardment of radical change ranging from societal norms to economic consumption. The end of World War I led to the end of idealism, and evolving values began to escalate towards the 1920’s. The surge of immigrants allowed for greater and greater economic booms, including the use of credit and involvement in the stock market. Thus, increasing racial tensions surfaced, heightening as economic booms amplified. Such a deep shift in American culture conflicted with traditional mentalities. The rising tension between new and changing attitudes was

The Roaring Twenties, according to Fitzgerald lacked morals stemming from high aspirations, materialism and liquor. While morality may seem easily discernable many people still act immorally. These bases of impurities still exist today, and stem the same results. For the betterment of the public, one should be careful in what they do; many other examples provide bases for immorality.

Although our current generation has vastly progressed and advanced since the “roaring 20s,” there are countless attributes in which both eras directly resemble one another. These periods were the focal points of advancements in technology, women’s rights, and culture. The groundbreaking advances in technology for both generations had sparked a whole new outlook on our nation’s future ahead. Women’s rights were also a major turning point for education and the workforce, both in the 1920s and the modern day. Lastly, the influence of many individuals in the cultural communities of the “roaring 20s” and the modern day have greatly impacted the foundations of art, music, and sports. Without a doubt, the way of life for individuals in both eras have extremely similar concepts, where both seem to focus on establishing a progressive and strongly developing future.

Louise Brooks, a silent movie star, was an idol of the flappers, and their prototype for offending older generations and pushing the bounds of acceptable female behavior. She led an exuberant social life, hanging in a social circle that included George Gershwin, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and other authors such as Benchley, Mencken, and Anita Loos. Louise Brooks epitomized the flapper culture and could be described as “flamboyant”, or “ambivalent”, yet always with an uneasy sense of pessimistic depression underneath it all.

“The Roaring Twenties” most accurately depicts the 1920 era for three main reasons, the progression in politics, advancement in technology, and because of how the lifestyle was changing. Starting with the election of William G. Harding, to the invention of movies and the radio and finally with the creation of the flapper. The 1920s sure were roaring!