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here are the analyses of flappers, alcoholic lifestyle and free love that Fitzgerald portrayed through ‘This Side of Paradise’ based on the theory of sociology of
literature.
4.1.1 Flappers in ‘This Side of Paradise’
Flappers in early 1920’s or jazz age era can be identified as one of the characteristics that defines the social changes. Moreover, flappers in that time can
be classified as a symbol of modern women that began to be more active to show their personalities. It can be proved by many women that started to work out of
domestic area, some women increasingly went to college, or even their outspoken personalities of their relationship. Besides they were more educated than women
in previous generations, flappers in early 1920’s were also considered as feminists new generation. This is proved by their development personalities
which began to define themselves, who they were and what they wanted. In fashion, flappers also bring some cultural changes to American women
liberation. Thus, Flappers popular image was in their short hair, modest about using makeup, and wore either short or brave skirts. But even though flappers’
culture succeeded in some way, many people still saw their mainstream behavior as a sign of moral degradation in American culture. It can be proved by most of
women that consider smoking and drinking as the part of their freedom, even flappers in that time also thought that having free sex are the common thing that
they can do before married. That’s why older generation concerned that American
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women in early 1920’s are not the truth women anymore, and flapper regarded as one of the negative effects that caused by World War I.
Throughout the story of This Side of Paradise, we can see many descriptions of flapper’s personalities from the major women characters named
Rosalind. Such as how their lifestyle and also their fashion related to the women reflection in early 1920’s.
“ROSALIND: Honestly, there are only two costumes in the world that I really enjoy being in—
Combing her hair at the dressingtable. One’s a hoop skirt with pantaloons; the other’s a one-piece
bathing-suit. I’m quite charming in both of them.” Fitzgerald, 1996: 127
The quotation above become one prove that flappers really exist in early 1920’s, such as her enjoyment in using ‘open’ fashion style which can improve
her self-confident. Hoop skirt with pantaloons and one-piece bathing-suit that Rosalind used also described the reflection of fashion items that flappers usually
use in their era. The other flappers’ personalities can be seen by Cecelia description about Rosalind’s character in her quotation below.
“ALEC: Does Rosalind behave herself? CECELIA: Not particularly well. Oh, she’s
average—smokes sometimes, drinks punch, frequently kissed—Oh, yes—common knowledge—
one of the effects of the war, you know.” Fitzgerald, 1996: 125
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This quotation become one prove that Rosalind’s personalities are described as the symbol of negative effect that caused by the World War I. Her
character as the representative of the type of women at that time that smoke, drank and frequently kissed behavior becomes the proves of flappers’ reflection attitudes
in early 1920’s. Thus, this novel also described the general conditions of women at that time through Amory’s character as a man, which actually gives us
explanation of how Amory feels towards woman in his era at that time. According to him, girls who are having a wild behavior which they consider as their freedom
concept, however only give a starting point of women moral degradation to the society. Thus, Amory thought is proved by his description of flappers condition in
early 1920’s that having hedonistic behaviors as their new freedom can be seen by the quotation below.
“Amory saw girls doing things that even in his memory would have been impossible: eating
three-o’clock, after-dance suppers in impossible cafes, talking of every side of life with an air half
of earnestness, half of mockery, yet with a furtive excitement that Amory considered stood for a
real moral let-down.” Fitzgerald, 1996: 44
This quotation gives clear explanation of social changes phenomena that happen to America after World War I. The modernization that developed in the
society in some way actually gave many opportunities for women as the part of those social changes. The problem is many people still think that these changes
also affect women in a negative way, which they consider that flappers in early 1920’s begin to lose their identity
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4.1.2 Alcoholic Lifestyle in ‘This Side of Paradise’
