The Flapper and the Fogy: Representations of Gender and Age in the 1920s

Abstract

In the 1920s in the United States, public attention was riveted on the antics of a new, rebellious younger generation. Although popular representations focused on youth in crisis, these representations emphasized comparisons between young and old. This article explores the public discussions about youth culture in the 1920s and how they helped to refine cultural categories of youth and old age. In addition, through gender-specific representations, social commentators worked out new definitions of masculinity, femininity, and the relationships between the sexes. Furthermore, the rhetorical conflict between generations of Americans helped to frame important contemporary questions about national identity.