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Introduction
The 1920s, also known as the Roaring Twenties, are regarded as years of profound changes in US society, particularly concerning the sexual behaviors among youth. However, the rise of new sexual mores is just the tip of the iceberg and reflects a more profound change in the grounding principles of society. Several events and innovative ideas contributed to shaping distinct habits and challenging the old Victorian mindset. The wind of change was anticipated and ridden by the feminist movements, the spread of the Freudian theories, the debate on the use of contraceptives, the focus on sex in contemporary novels and plays, and the birth of new means of communication that arouse the collective imagery about sex. This paper examines some topical theories and experiences and tries to understand to which extent the outcomes can be defined as a sexual revolution. Ultimately, it holds that while the changes were undeniable, they were perceived and experienced differently depending on the social status, the urban or rural environment, and the race.
The Sexual Revolution
The wake of World War I brought a weighty shift in social habits, sexual behaviors, and moral values. Overall, the decade marked the end of Victorian morals, deeply rooted in the Protestant values of chastity and modesty (Clark 93). Sexuality was related to the original sin, and sex was exclusively a private affair relegated within the boundaries of marriage. During the 1920s, the Puritan view of the world wavered under the pressure of sudden and rapid changes in social life (DEmilio and Friedman 369). Before the 1920s, young men and women had few chances to meet and socialize; however, the increasing importance of education altered the used patterns, putting the school at the center of youths life, and offering many occasions to mingle. Males and females could spend time together attending classes or extracurricular activities. Moreover, the increased availability of cars and other means of transportation boosted social life, often far from parental monitoring. Petting parties and necking became common among youth.
Besides, Hollywood movies and newspapers contributed to spreading awareness of sexuality, changing the collective imagery of sex and eroticism. The modern approach to social relations and sex should be framed in the broader contexts of womens emancipation and campaign for birth control. In 1920, womens suffrage was established, representing a milestone towards equality between genders. By the 1920s, the perception of the role of women in society had changed, and women could compete with men in business and political environments, enter saloons, take a contractual approach to marriage, and experience sexual independence (Freedman 373). Besides, the decade witnessed a lively debate around the general spread of contraceptives. Religious groups and the conservative establishment deemed the use of condoms and diaphragms immoral and even obscene (Clark 93). On the contrary, women saw them as a means to claim their right to limit pregnancies. From a slightly different perspective, the broad availability of contraceptives fueled the exploration of the sexual sphere among youth.
The new sexuality among women was embodied by the flappers, fashionable girls with modern ideas, and independent behaviors. Typically, they listen to jazz music, smoke, and even drink alcohol. The flapper culture is celebrated in many Hollywood plays and literary works. Indeed, the emerging movie industry and the coeval literature played a significant role in shaping the ideal of eroticism.
Many motion pictures of the twenties encompassed a substantial sexual charge and influenced the sexual culture of the public. While these movies were attacked by several groups for their immorality, yet their success reveals that a conspicuous part of young Americans felt comfortable with stories focused on sex (Clark 95). The movie industry had its literary counterpoint in many short stories published in newspapers. The young Scott Fitzgerald, for example, used to write flapper stories for the Saturday Evening Post ( Flappers par. 16). Inescapably, the emerging culture influenced the concepts of family and marriage. Overall, families became smaller due to the use of contraceptives, while young couples approached marriage with sexual awareness and expectations for physical pleasure (DEmilio and Friedman 374). Indeed, it was a big leap from the Puritan perspective that held that sex was exclusively meant to procreate.
Understanding and Assessing the 1920s
Indeed, the flapper culture and the sex-oriented movies embodied the most evident aspect of the sexual revolution of the 1920s. However, the rise of new sexual mores reflects profound changes in the mainstream thinking and social sciences, as well as technological advancements and the redefinition of the role of genders within the new social frameset. Prominent authors, including Huxley, Joyce, and Lawrence challenged the inflexibility of Victorian morality, while the Freudian theory about the repressed libido fueled the aspiration for sexual freedom (Clark 95; Freedman 379). The shifts in the sexual mores are especially manifest among women: after decades of battles for the right to vote, emancipate, and be equal to men, they eventually had their opportunity to experience unique freedom. Previously, such independence was only tolerated in the red-light districts of large cities and was the exclusive preserve of men. Last, it is essential to highlight that the sexual revolution took place in the wake of World War I.
The war favored the social changes from many perspectives: those who had witnessed the violence and the horrors of the wars felt disillusioned and questioned the value of traditional morals. On the other hand, the country demanded fresh lifeblood, and the large availability of jobs spread optimism among the young generation. Economic independence, trust, and a nip of cynicism cooperated to rock the old boat of Puritanism.
However, while the sexual revolution is undeniable, understanding to which extent was perceived and adopted across the nation is quite challenging. Indeed, there is a great contrast between engaging in relatively innocent petting parties and the licentious behaviors of some flappers or actors of the 1920s. The revolution originated in the middle class, while cities offered many more occasions for exploring sexual boundaries than small rural environments. Interestingly, the black community perceived the changes peculiarly, with two distinct aspects (DEmilio and Friedman 377). Traditionally, the most disadvantaged classes had limited boundaries concerning sexual experiences before marriage; on the contrary, more educated and wealthy black families followed strict social and sexual codes.
Besides sexual freedom, birth control, the increased divorce rate, and the behaviors of singles or groups, some aspects seem to have planted long-lasting seeds. Women were no longer confined near the home heart, the erotic imagery became a dominant part of life, and for the first time in US history, a sub-culture divergent from the mainstream emerged among young people.
Conclusion
Many factors contributed to the birth of the sexual revolution of the 1920s. While World War I was the trigger, the changes in social morality were the results of the feminist struggle for equality between genders, the development of new social theories that advocated sexual freedom, and the debate around birth control. Literary works and motion pictures accelerated the changes and made the sexual drive a public matter. Even if at a different pace, the new sexual behaviors affected the whole society, changing the nation forever.
Works Cited
Clark, Shellie. The Sexual Revolution of the Roaring Twenties: Practice or Perception? #History: A Journal of Student Research, vol. 1, article 7, 2016, pp. 92-101. Web.
DEmilio, John, and Estelle Friedman. The Sexual Revolution of the 1920s. A Mosaic of America Volume II. Edited by Lawrence L Hartzell, Kendall/Hunt, 2002, pp. 369-379.
Flappers. History, 2019, Web.
Freedman, Estelle B. The New Woman: Changing Views of Women in the 1920s. Journal of American History, vol. 61, no 2, 1974, pp. 372393, Web.
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