Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination.

The decades between World War I and World War II were a time of gradual but visible change in the roles that women held in American society. After the 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote in 1920, there was a growing expectation that women could participate more fully in civic life. More women were attending college, working for wages, and taking part in public conversations through writing, speaking, and activism. 

Despite this progress, access to public influence remained limited. Women were rarely given leadership positions in politics, business, or science. When they appeared in the public eye, their presence often came with restrictions. Audiences and editors paid close attention to how women looked, how they spoke, and how closely they fit expected social roles. Independence was admired in theory, but in practice, a woman’s success often depended on appearing modest, agreeable, and traditionally feminine.

Amelia Earhart illustrates how one had to walk the line between trailblazing and femininity. For example, Earhart exited a crashed plane while “powdering her nose” (39). She knew that looking composed and conventionally feminine helped quiet doubts about a woman’s place in the cockpit.