Life of a 1940's American Teenager
By: Quinn Sheehan
If I was a teen living in the 1940s and I couldn't fit in, I would feel ashamed and even unAmerican. In the high school photo, there aren't any kids visible that don't fit either the short crew cut for boys or the curly hair that is pulled back look for girls. They are all fitting in to the 1940s American style. If I didn't fit that style I would feel like an enemy, because I am the only one who isn't wearing the style that was influenced by the military. I wouldn't be supporting the country. If my family wasn't wealthy and couldn't afford the amenities shown in the ads, I wouldn't be happy because according to the ads, you can only be a happy family when you have expensive material goods. If I preferred a different cola or an unpopular option, I would feel like a failure because everyone prefers this one. I couldn't stray from the "American norm." I would constantly feel like a misfit, and no one would be able to help me because I don't fit in.