Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 3 of 3
Full-Text Articles in History
I Love Lucy, That Girl, And Changing Gender Norms On And Off Screen, Emilia Anne De Leo
I Love Lucy, That Girl, And Changing Gender Norms On And Off Screen, Emilia Anne De Leo
Honors Papers
Women on television of the 1950’s and 1960’s have a contested place in American television history. The common belief that women in postwar TV adhered to and promoted strict sexist stereotypes is pervasive, but there has been some debate as to how accurate this generalization is. This paper examines the roles women played on television through a close analysis of two shows, I Love Lucy (1951-7) and That Girl (1966-71). These two shows demonstrate women’s general places during the decades in which they aired, with Lucy Ricardo representing the housewife of the 1950’s and Ann Marie representing the increasingly popular …
Re-Writing The Frontier Myth: Gender, Race, And Changing Conceptions Of American Identity In Little House On The Prairie, Kristin M. Sargeant
Re-Writing The Frontier Myth: Gender, Race, And Changing Conceptions Of American Identity In Little House On The Prairie, Kristin M. Sargeant
Honors Papers
"Little House on the Prairie" has remained popular since the release of the first book in 1932, and has enjoyed particular moments of resonance in the 1930s, 1970s, and late 1990s. This study explores why "Little House" has endured through multiple generations, looking at this phenomenon through the lens of historical memory. Through its placement within one of America's foundational myths, the frontier myth, and its subsequent democratization of that myth in moments of social and political change, "Little House" has celebrated America's ability to become more inclusive yet retain its most essential qualities. This thesis uses changing portrayals of …
Putting On Her Man Pants: Social Reaction To Female Cross-Dressing And Gender Transgression In America 1850-1880, Kathryn L. Eichenlaub
Putting On Her Man Pants: Social Reaction To Female Cross-Dressing And Gender Transgression In America 1850-1880, Kathryn L. Eichenlaub
Honors Papers
Between 1850 and 1880, Americans obsessed over cross-dressing women. Many women donned the breeches: ruined young daughters of respectable families, honest but poor girls looking for a living, and unseemly women who wished either to explore public places or prostitute themselves. This huge variation in station and intention of cross-dressing women allows an exploration of Victorian identity markers -- not just gender, but also race, class, and respectability. Many of these young ladies were described as Romantic adventurers -- they had heroic and beautiful, but often ultimately tragic, experiences. By studying the social reaction to these individuals, we discover that …