Modernism in the 1920s Caroline Barth February 14, 2012 Professor Wheeler History 252 Archive 17 Document Analysis

The United States emerged from the Great War in the 1920s more powerful than ever before, but many Americans faced changes to their current ways of life. For the first time, America was more urban than rural. Additionally, new technology, such as automobiles, telephones, and radios, made life completely different than it had once been. The 1920s also brought many cultural changes. African Americans left an impact on the U.S. artistically and culturally through painting, writing, and music. Women also received more recognition, and were finally able to exercise voting rights .(Introduction.) Although the years between the wars brought many changes to the cultural, economic, and social landscape of the United States that were welcomed by groups of people such as women and African Americans, others, such as anti-prohibitionists and the Ku Klux Klan, strongly opposed the changes. American womens impact on 1920s culture was increasing, as evidenced by Christine Fredericks book, Selling Mrs. Consumer. (17.1) Fredericks work revealed the growing influence of social sciences during the time, demonstrating a relatively modern belief in the practice of psychoanalysis. Her book explained the psychology of what she considered to be the mystery behind women. Her belief was that the women of her day were more emotional and closer to instinct than men. Fredericks findings supported her opinion that advertisements and new products should make better appeals to women; she confirmed this by providing an example of a study that showed that female consumers would much prefer scented talcum powder over unscented because it appealed to them emotionally. The authors book proves that women were starting to have a stronger influence on American society. As women began to have more of an impact, manufacturers took advantage of the opportunity that the female consumers gave them.

The invention of the automobile brought another major alteration to the American way of life. Again, its advertising was largely targeted toward women, who were gaining a newfound independence from their husbands and were the main shoppers of their families. A 1920s Cadillac advertisement provides a glimpse into some of the mindsets about women at the time. (17.2b) An image of a woman on the ad and the placement in the magazine Good Housekeeping demonstrate that the car was largely targeted towards women, not men. The document also appeals to the Americans desire for continuity. It provides a comforting advertisement that assures the consumer that the Cadillac still would still remain the same, even during times of lightning-like and disturbing changes. Advertisements for Listerine mouth wash in a 1926 issue of Good Housekeeping (17.2c) and Lifebuoy soap in a 1935 issue of Ladies Home Journal (17.2e) provide more insight into the roles of women. The ad for Lifebuoy soap features a woman who maintains a beautiful home to try to show her appreciation for her husband. However, when he becomes less affectionate towards her, she realizes that she has B.O., or body odor. When she starts to use Lifebuoy, her husband smothers her with affection. This advertisement illustrates a society in which women are required to cook and clean to express love to their husbands. The mouthwash ad provides more insight into the roles that women of the time had to fill. It features a woman, who, upon learning that the reason she is not being invited to parties is because she has halitosis, or bad breath, starts using Listerine. The advertisement displays women as sensitive creatures who need to be invited to all social gatherings to maintain a good reputation. Although women found more freedom through inventions like automobiles and through political

rights such as voting, men still expected for women to show them appreciation for them by maintaining a proper household and good hygiene at all times. African Americans were another group of people in the United States that faced many changes, mainly cultural. Alan Lockes forward to The New Negro supported his idea of a new negro who, instead of just a slave or a worker, had now become a prominent cultural figure. (17.5) As Locke states, African Americans and their work could not be considered part of a darkened Ghetto of a segregated race life, or bizarre and alien, or even nave and refreshing as the way of a child, because now, negro life had become simply an interesting and significant part of the general American scene. The significance of African American accomplishments was considered to be an awakening on a national, or even international scale. Two examples of African American art that support Lockes opinions could be found in the form of two poems written by Langston Hughes, entitled Proem and Epilogue. (17.7) Hughes demonstrates his pride in his ethnicity in the former poem by describing himself as black as the night is black, black like the depths of Africa, and in the latter, when he states that even though today, they send me to eat in the kitchen when company comes, he will gain strength and tomorrow, Ill sit at the table.Nobodyll dare say to me, Eat in the kitchen. However, Proem also shows the poets feelings of victimization, demonstrated by his use of words such as slave, worker, and victim. Like the other documents, Lockes book and Hughess poems both show how Americans perceptions and opinions of the world around them were changing rapidly.

However, some Americans were resistant to the changes happening during the period between the two world wars. The Ku Klux Klan had revived itself in response to these changes, publishing documents such as the Creed of Klanswomen, which expressed their many anxieties. (17.3) The Creed reflected a fear of alien races and unpure American blood. The members of the KKK felt that the only acceptable race of humans was native-born, white, Christian, and protestant. Although they were highly discriminatory in their racial beliefs, they did support other, more modern values, such as the emancipation of women from the shackles of old world traditions. Another topic that faced controversy was prohibition, the illegalization of alcohol. Some Americans responded to it positively, but Fabian Franklins essay Nature of the Prohibitionist Tyranny expressed the concerns that many had regarding the issue. (17.4) Franklin and other anti-prohibitionists believed that prohibition was unfair and that there are some things which the majority has no right to impose upon the minority, is a doctrine that wasuniversally understood among thinking Americans of all former generations. He felt that the purpose of prohibition was to keep liquor away from the negroes, and that the people of the north were being deprived of their right to the harmless enjoyment of wine and beer in order that the negroes of Alabama and Texas may not get beastly drunk on rogut whiskey. The authors belief about prohibition provides an example of the resistance that many Americans had against change, as well as demonstrating that racism was still prevalent in America. Even though the changes to Americas economic, cultural, and social state were welcomed by people such as Negroes and women, others, such as anti-prohibitionists and the KKK, opposed the changes. Women found more liberation through inventions like

automobiles (17.2b) and through newfound political rights, however, men still expected for females to show their gratitude towards them by constantly maintaining a tidy household and excellent hygiene. (17.2c and 17.2e) African Americans were another group of people in the United States that faced many changes, primarily artistic and cultural. Lockes book and Hughess poems both prove that the countrys beliefs and opinions regarding Negroes were shifting quickly. (17.5 and 17.7) However, some Americans were resistant to the changes happening during the period between the two world wars. The members of the Ku Klux Klan felt that the only acceptable race of humans was non-immigrant, white, and protestant. (17.3) Fabian Franklins beliefs on the subject of prohibition also exemplified the opposition that many people had toward change, as well as indicating that racism was still widespread in America. (17.4) The Roaring 20s was a time of great transformations in America that were both welcomed and feared by American society.