Revolutionary Gender Identities of the Roaring Twenties (1920s)

Faculty Advisor: Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the Department of Comparative Literature at Stanford University

Research Program Introduction

Have you heard of The Great Gatsby or Passing? Are you fascinated by the culture of the “Roaring Twenties” and the “Jazz Age”? Do you want to study this very special era through literature, films, and comics?

The “Roaring Twenties” refers to the decade of the 1920s, a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the United States and Europe. The 1920s saw unprecedented changes in traditional American gender identities. For instance, the concept of the “New Woman”, which first appeared in the 1920s, captures the ways in which women achieved considerable freedoms and independence in the “Roaring Twenties”. Whether it was wearing short dresses, sporting short hairdos, going dancing at jazz clubs, or winning the right to vote, this period in American history witnessed unprecedented social, political, and cultural mobility for women. 

Through this interdisciplinary humanities course, participants will learn more about the changing gender dynamics of 1920s America through the lenses of history, literature, film, and comics. We will explore excerpts from influential literary works published in the 1920s, such as Passing by Nella Larsen (1929) and The Great Gatsby (1925) by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Larsen is one of the most celebrated female African American writers of the Harlem Renaissance, while Fitzgerald is considered one of the great American writers who explored the excesses of the Jazz Age. These novels depict the complex transformation of gender identities at the intersection of race and class in 1920s America. 

The class will also explore comic strips such as “Flapper Fanny Says” to understand the views and attitudes men and women held about dynamic gender identities of the times. We will also watch the film productions of both The Great Gatsby and Passing. Participants will engage in readings, discussions, and short writing assignments that explore the ways in which these novels and related material promoted and critiqued the idea of masculine as well as feminine gender identity. 

Throughout this program, students will be able to build their original work, including a “TED talk” style short talk, a secondary sources list, a final research proposal, and a final presentation about their research projects.

Program Details

• Cohort size: This cohort is limited to 5 to 10 students

• Duration: 12 weeks

• Workload: Average 3 hours per week (including class and homework time)

• Target students: 7 to 9th graders interested in Humanities and Social Science subjects. Students must be fluent in English and demonstrate self-management skills. This project is best for students with genuine curiosity in the subject, diligence, and initiative. 

• Schedule: TBD. Meetings will take place for around one hour per week, with a weekly meeting day and time to be determined one week prior to the class start date.