Wednesday, May 19, 2010

The Roaring 20s!

The 20s was an era filled with excitement in the US. So many different types of music, style, and cars arose at this time. The story The Great Gatsby reflects so many of the different changes because it in fact takes place in the early 1920s. The different fashions, music, and dancing styles can all be seen at Gatsby's over the top extravagent parties he throws at his home in the wealthy "west egg". Jay Gatsby and other characters in the story drive cars that look much different than the ones we are used to seeing today which was just another signature item of this era.
The 1920s brought out a whole differnt style of music and dancing. Young people danced to fast paced jazz music in short sparkly dresses that were in vogue at this time. One of the new dancing styles was called the charleston which was introduced by a cast from a broadway show called "Running Wild". This dance was so popular that not just people in the US were doing it but people all over the world were learning and doing this hot new dance craze and parties and social events. Most people already know that the very first automobile was mad by Henry Ford and his sucessful motor company but in this era newer, better, and more expensive cars came into the picture. Many major improvement were made to cars at this time such as four wheel drive. Some of the car companies that existed in the 1920s and still exist today are Cadillac, Buick, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and Lincoln.
There were also many signature styles in the 1920s. The "flapper" which was previously mentioned in our blog was the style for young women who cut their hair into bobs, wore a lot of make up, shortened their dress hemlines, smoked cigarettes, and drank alcohol. They were considered rebellious at this time and many people looked down upon them in society. A popular style amog the men at this time was a style referred to as "sheiks". Sheiks wore ukeleles, racoon jackets, and bell bottom pants. The 1920s is an era home to fashion, flair, and fun times and people will always remember it as it is referred to as The Roaring 20s!

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