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The Roaring Twenties And The Jazz Age

Decent Essays

In today 's society when we assess the differences between men and women they appear to be fairly similar. When we compare women 's rights and equalities to the 1900 's it 's clear to see we have made great strives. During the 1900 's women were treated as inferiors when compared to men and they were struggling to fight for their basic rights. During this time women were highly encouraged to marry at a young age and if they chose to go into the work force their options were limited to domestic jobs such as becoming a secretary, teacher or salesclerk. ("The Changing Role”, 2014). The 1920 's are referred to as "The Roaring Twenties” or the "The Jazz Age” and during this time an author by the name of Anita Loos produced the novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. This novel is told from a first person perspective and uses a theme of satire to expose the absurdities of men 's views of women during the 1900 's.

The protagonist of the novel, Lorelei, is a stereotypical 'dumb blonde '. Lorelei can be described as a "naïve hero”. According to The Bedford Glossary of Critical and Literary Terms a naïve hero is "...the narrative of a work, who cannot fully comprehend the world around him or her and thus consistently but unwittingly misinterprets events of situations,” (Murfin & Ray, 326). Lorelei deceivingly portrays herself to men as youthful, innocent, naïve and unaware of the consequence of her actions. Lorelei develops the narrative and themes of the novel through

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