JOURNAL ARTICLE

"They Are Just Girls": Clara Bow's Star Persona, Female Adolescence, and the Flapper Youth Spectator.

  • Published In: Journal of the History of Childhood & Youth, 2023, v. 16, n. 3. P. 420 1 of 3

  • Database: America: History and Life with Full Text 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Burr, Christina 3 of 3

Abstract

In the 1920s, a new type of adolescent femininity emerged in the US—the flapper. This article examines the connections between silent film star Clara Bow's flapper persona, feminine adolescence, and the flapper film spectator. The flapper spectator was not only the actual moviegoer, but also a structure of looking and feeling constructed by the organization of the flapper film, which demonstrated the potential of bodily movement to generate feelings of freedom. Testimonials from girls in the Payne Fund studies and fan letters are used to study flapper spectators' engagement with Bow's performance of the flapper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Journal of the History of Childhood & Youth. 2023/10, Vol. 16, Issue 3, p420
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:1939-6724
  • DOI:10.1353/hcy.2023.a909988
  • Accession Number:173420304
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Journal of the History of Childhood & Youth is the property of Johns Hopkins University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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