Flappers in the 1920s were girls and women who dressed less modestly. They also disobeyed the rules followed by most women and girls. They did what others would never think of doing in this time period. From coast to coast people read about the exploits of a new type of woman called the flapper. Before World War I, Victorian ideals still dictated the behavior of American women and girls. Frederick Lewis Allen describes the traditional role of women. Women were the guardians of morality. They were made of finer cloth than that of men. They were expected to act accordingly. Young girls must innocently await a romantic love match that will lead them to the altar and live happily ever after. Until the right man came along, they should not allow any male to kiss them. The Flappers did the opposite. Flappers danced the Charleston, kissed their boyfriends while playing golf, and sat behind the wheels of fast cars. The woman, usually young and liberated, disdained the traditions of her mother and grandmother before her. Flappers smoked and drank alcohol, cut their hair, and wore short dresses. They also changed their views on courtship rituals, marriage, and child-rearing. With these they could have the same freedom as men. That period also saw a highly physical change in women's lives, such as the way they dressed and looked. For the first time in American history, women could choose to free themselves from long hair and bulky clothes. Before the change, women wore very restrictive clothing consisting of long skirts with layers of petticoats over tightly laced corsets that produced an hourglass figure with wide hips and a narrow waist. What made women and girls become flappers was that many men did not... middle of paper... wild, she could take refuge in her family's reputation and remain blameless. Zelda became a champion diver and swimmer. He always dived from the highest boards. Her swimsuit was a nude one-piece, from a distance she looked naked. The Flappers weren't just a rebellious and courageous young woman trying to defy her mother's traditions and cause an uproar in society. Her outspokenness about sexuality created a new emotional and sexual culture for women. It also created a new basis for male and female courtship. They showed women everywhere that being submissive could only harm the extraordinary woman. Flappers created a new youth identity. I think flappers were a good thing that created a new trend for now. I think they're getting out of hand with the brevity of things, but overall it was a fantastic thing to create.