Teens, Family, and Success
in the 1940's-50's
Conformity
There are many examples of teen conformity in this picture. We see females dressed nicely and plainly, showing how they are just supposed to sit there and look pretty. They have to be the caretakers of the family. The males are dressed nicely as well, some even in suits and ties. This shows how men have to be dressed successfully to be successful. They are also not smiling, not a single one of them. This represents the man's responsibility to be the head of the family and to be strong and stoic.
Family
This picture of family shows many people sitting together by a fireplace having fun and enjoying themselves. The families back them were much larger and closer together than they are today. This shows how people were more attracted to the look of perfection back then. Eveyone wanted to have the "American Dream" with their whole family living a perfect life in a perfect home. Nowadays, people are more unique and different, and are stretching the boundaries of a perfect family.
Success
This picture represents success in many ways. It shows a car with many people dressed nicely around it. The clothing of the people shows how successful they are; as they can afford the clothing they wear. They are also all in couples, showing that when you have that car, you can have more success and even have loved ones in your life. It gives a feeling of success people very successful and "perfect" people will envy you for your success if you buy this car.
Teen Life in 1946-1952
Being a teen and living in the 40's and 50's was not easy. You are forced to conform into a single square box definition of a teen. You have to be clean-cut and precise, and that could be a struggle for some people. Some teens, for example, might not have enough money to afford perfection. In a world like New Trier, people are judged on having the right clothes, hair, and even atitude. It can be impossible for some to reach that, especially if you can't afford it. If you can't fit in, some emotions would arise. A person would feel sad and humiliated to walk into school everyday and look different than everyone else. You might act out or rebel against society if you can't fit in. You might also just retreat in on yourself and hide from the conforming people as much as you can. And no one could help you. If you were stuck in a world of sticking out and not fitting the mold, you have no one to turn to.