Life for a Teen in the 40's
By: Michael H, Jeremy K, Nolan R, Luke G
Conformity
This picture is a female high school glee club in the 1940s. All of the girls in this image have very similar hairstyles and clothing, with very slight variation in colors. This is not only because of peer pressure that made people want to look a certain way, but it is also influenced by rationing happening during World War 2.
Family
In this picture of a family in the 1940s, we see an average family. A mother, father, and two children. In the 40s, women were subservient to the men of the house. The mother and sister were supposed to dress in special clothes before dinner so they would look relaxed and attractive for the men. The mother and sister must set up for dinner. The son would do his homework and not spend too much time on the phone, greet his father when he got home, and they were not supposed to share bad news with the dad. Most families had family rooms where they would play games together.
Success
Commercials tailored to the ideas of conformity and family. Adverts for lawnmowers and other manual labor things, were advertised to men. Cooking equipment, foods, and recipes were tailored more towards women. Sweets and other junk foods were all advertised to children. Many commercials used gimmicks and other tricks in order to get you to buy their product.
Thesis
In order for a teenager to be successful, they must please society by conforming to the norms and rules.