Jordan Engelke

Dr. Emily Wicktor

ENGL 330
Blondes Response Paper
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and the New Woman
In the 1920s women began acting differently. Dresses got shorter and looser
fitting and hair was worn cropped short. Young women were seen in public more often and
became active in the public eye because they were no longer tied to their housework. They
began venturing out of the house to participate in politics and the job market. This
movement could be seen as the early rustlings of First Wave feminism. Though Lorelei may
not necessarily meet our 21st Century views on feminism because she still depends on rich
men for much of her livelihood, she can still be considered an early feminist because of the
ways in which she acts with her own sense of agency and independence. In Gentlemen
Prefer Blondes, Lorelei is a representation of the 1920s New Woman, and Id like to explore
what this meant for her, and for women as a whole.
One of the major aspects of the novel that Dorothy and Lorelei address is agency.
They both use whatever resources available to them to be as independent as possible. By
resources I really mean their sexuality (because, what else could they have?). Dorothy
and Lorelei flirt and manipulate their way into the hearts of the men in their lives to get
material goods like jewelry and vacations, but also higher statuses in life. We see Dorothys
impressive skills put to use during Loreleis debut party. She plays the liquor bootlegger
and the judge against each other so well that the party doesnt get shut down, and what
could have turned into a terrible fight ending with arrests or worse, ended up being turned
into a brief, inconsequential quarrel (113). Like Dorothy, Loreleis manipulative abilities
are well documented throughout the novel. She uses the stereotypes men have of women

against them by crying to get what she wants, pretending to be helpless, and playing mens
jealousy against them.
The girls agency is indicative of women in the time period. Women began treading
the area between marriage and abstinencethey were sexual with men before they were
officially wed, and sexual experimentation became more common. For example, when
Lorelei is celebrating her birthday, she has a party with a bunch of men at her apartment.
This may have been a scandal for previous generations, but was a common occurrence for
women like Lorelei and Dorothy; they were allowed to throw unchaperoned parties with
a bunch of single guys and girls and have a wild night without repercussions (6).
One of my favorite scenes in the novel is when Lorelei is psychoanalyzed Froyd in
Vienna. It was striking to me that his diagnosis for her is that she cultivate inhibitions. I
think he is just so shocked by Loreleis entire demeanor that he doesnt know what else to
tell her. Hes intreeged by a girl who does whatever she wants whenever she wants (92).
The doctor and his assistants are even shocked into complete silence by Loreleis story
about shooting Mr. Jennings, not only because she committed a violent crimesomething
that was practically unheard-of for womenbut also because of her motive. She
discovered that Mr. Jennings was a sexual predator, and she took action in a way that
expressed just how hurt and angry she was. Most women at the time would have likely kept
that anger to themselves, allowing it to boil under the surface. Lorelei, though, just allows
all of her feelings to be out in the open and is quite unapologetic about it. She feels the way
she feels and it seems that she cant understand why anyone would think her emotional
states irrational. This is a sign of a truly progressive woman, if you ask me!

Throughout the novel, Lorelei bravely defies societal expectations for women in the
20s, not only expectations of men for women but also expectations of women for other
women. The fictional Freuds perception of women is probably shaken by his meeting with
Lorelei and perhaps she helped introduce him to the attitudes and values of the new wave
of women in the 19th Century.
Finally, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is written as a diary, which is typically seen as a
form of womens writing. The author uses a ditzy (for lack of a better word) tone that
would be unusual for a male protagonist or a mens novel. The story follows two women
and it explores the social status of women in the 20s, so Blondes could easily be considered
womens writing. Whats interesting though, is that the novel was widely recognized by
male readership in Harpers Bazaar. Why? Perhaps because the humor in the novel was
appealing to a wider audience. Maybe Lorelei was lovable and laughable enough to attract
women and men. Or maybe its something deeper. Perhaps women in that time identified
with and respected Loreleis sense of independence and her go-getter attitude. Maybe the
novel helped male readers better understand the ways in which womens culture was
rapidly changing. It shed light on the New Woman in a way that was approachable and easy
to digest for a wide audience while still holding true to the feminist values of the
movement. In this way, Blondes is an outstanding example of womens literature that
balances the principles of the feminist movements while maintaining a quirky and
humorous tone, a balance for which Loos should be applauded.

Works Cited
Loos, Anita. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Print. 1925.