Ainslie Chen

  

Volume 9 | Issue I | March 2025

The Harker School ’25

California, USA

  

Trailblazing, unexpected – the flapper movement in two words. A historical moment when women defied misogyny and reinvented femininity, showering themselves in fashion and jewelry rather than the affection of any man. It seemed too good to be true, a fever dream; like the women of the 1920s, I was sucked into the opulent, unruly image of the flapper, offering it a place not just in my heart but in my APUSH research paper. What I’d imagined to be a simple school assignment dragged into the summer as I discovered that the flapper movement represented anything but freedom. The movement was so adamant about establishing a fixed identity that it reverted to conformity: flappers were criticized for being conservative, not wild enough. I spent the summer before my senior year exploring the flapper movement paradox. I initially did not have high hopes, questioning whether I’d be able to finish my paper given my busy summer schedule. And yet I was sitting at twenty pages by early August last year, eagerly wanting to share my findings with the world. After researching potential journals, I stumbled across The Schola. Its appreciation of in-depth, reflective research immediately drew me in, and I knew that I had to give it a shot. Throughout this process, I’ve not only gained a deeper understanding of my academic interests, but I’ve also learned how to articulate my ideas clearly. Besides this paper, activities that fill my time include creative writing and baking brookies (brownies + cookies) with friends.