Jazz Age

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 5

World War I was barely over

How many lives were lost?

1. About the population of Luxembourg now (600.000)
2. About the population of Belgium now (12 million)
3. About the population of Holland now (17 million)
4. About the population of Morocco now (37 million)

Loss of life

Between 16 and 22 million lives were lost
(the vast majority were men)

Another 23 million soldiers (almost all were men) were wounded

What were the consequences?
(for men, women, economy, philosophy)

"Lost Generation"

- belief in religion had been lost

- disorientation

- masculinity was questioned (Hemingway, Eliot)

- women had worked (ammunition, "keep the home-fires burning")

- The world is coming to an end; better party! 
(decadence and hedonism)

Focus on women:
What were the effects on women?

Focus on women:

- had had to work (the men were in the trenches)

- got rid of Victorian dress

- got the right to vote

- became sexually aware

Enter: the flapper girl

Victorian dress

Flapper dress

The Flapper – by Dorothy Parker

 The Playful flapper here we see,

The fairest of the fair.

She’s not what Grandma used to be, —

You might say, au contraire.

Her girlish ways may make a stir,

Her manners cause a scene,

But there is no more harm in her

Than in a submarine.

She nightly knocks for many a goal

The usual dancing men.

Her speed is great, but her control

Is something else again.

All spotlights focus on her pranks.

All tongues her prowess herald.

For which she well may render thanks

To God and Scott Fitzgerald.

Her golden rule is plain enough –

Just get them young and treat them

Rough.

Livin' it up in the twenties

This video is no longer available

Welke video was dit?

Now read Her First Ball (p. 22)

Things you need to know:

- Leila had lived in the country; only recently she moved to the city.

- "Twig" is a pet name for a (slim) girl.

- The drill hall is a military building, now used as a dance hall.

- chaperones are people who watch the youngsters: no "hanky-panky"!

- the 'programmes' are dance cards. On them they would write names and times when they would dance with one another. They hung from girls' wrists.

On the next slide, draw quotes from the text onto characteristics of the era.

(Think: Lost Generation & Jazz Age)

Outside appearances (of joy)

Dis-
illusion-

ment

Inability 

to 

communicate 

Death and the passing of time

"It seemed they were all lovely"

"Was this first ball only the beginning of her last ball?

"Quite a good floor"

"smoothing marble-white gloves

"Deep inside a little girl sobbed"

"Why had he spoiled it all?"

"But Leila felt the girls didn't really see her"

"Old man- fat, with a big bald patch on his head"

"no one wants to kiss you now"

These pretty arms will have turned into little short fat ones