Three Women in a Decade of Change -- A Collective Biographical Approach to the 1920s
Abstract
Perhaps no decade heralded the volume of historical change that the 1920s did. Women’s lives were dramatically affected by the world around them. In the aftermath of World War I, intolerance prevailed. In this atmosphere of fear, women were also confronted with the technological, commercial, and political advances of the 1920s and the gender roles that carried over from previous generations.
We can gain insights into how three women of diverse backgrounds answered the challenges of the 1920s by looking at their individual lives in depth. Self-proclaimed sociologist Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), black southern reformer Lugenia Burns Hope (1871-1947), and birth control activist Margaret Sanger (1879-1966) each brought mature insight into the 1920s. To better see what they did and why, the activities and writing of these women will be examined. These three women should be examined as representatives of mature women who were active, self-reflective, and contributed to the advancement of women, yet do not fit the stereotype of the 1920s woman. Although these women produced a wealth of material and activities during the period, this study will analyze work that is most representative of their thoughts and actions during the decade. Though they can not represent their entire sex, these women offer windows into different life choices for women in the 1920s.
While the media personified the 1920s woman as the young flapper in search of self-analysis of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Lugenia Bums Hope, and Margaret Sanger reveals a different kind of self. They found self-fulfillment in dedicating their lives to improving the lives of others.
Description
Program year: 1996/1997Digitized from print original stored in HDR
Citation
Kragle, Sarah Frances (1997). Three Women in a Decade of Change -- A Collective Biographical Approach to the 1920s. University Undergraduate Fellow. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /CAPSTONE -KragleS _1997.