Bright Young Things discussion

Please use this thread to discuss part one, chapter's 1 to 12 of

Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern by Joshua Zeitz.

Wonderful opening quote by Willa Cather...

The world broke in two in 1922, or thereabouts...

I started this the other day since I start classes again on the 10th. I'm on chapter two so far, but I'm enjoying it. Much better so far than Anything Goes, I think. A bit deeper, better written and researched. Plus it starts with Zelda, who I'm interested in. :)

I agree completely. It covers some of the same ground, but more skillfully.

I don't remember quite what all was covered in Part One. I know it was more the regular girl stuff, wasn't it? I liked that. Showing how the high culture/New York culture dispersed to all of America.

Well Bronwyn - you were right - this is such an engaging read I have whizzed through part 1 in a couple of sessions - it's absolutely fascinating.

Lois Long seems like a fascinating figure, really liberated but I found Zelda to be rather a sad figure by comparison.

I like the way the author weaves in little economic and sociological facts into the book - like the mother who took her dauhter to court for going out all night at age 19 - the way the courts upheld that sort of moral victorianism was rather funny to modern eyes! - The unfairness of the 'modern woman's' wage structure was also interesting and the way this was combined with sexual liberation/expectation.

That the first wave feminists were not enamoured with the Flappers reminds me of the way modern day feminists feel about the current 'celebrity' culture.

...on now to the fascinatig Coco Chanel...

I'm near finishing this book, so my comments on each section will be a bit comparative. I think this section is my favorite. I felt like I not only learned a lot, but that all the information was interconnected and built on itself. I saw how changing attitudes developed relating to how women acted based on their economic and social situations. For instance, I'd never thought how dating was practically an economic necessity because of the disparity of pay for women and the cost of living in the city.