Maturation Rites - Lauer, Estelle Gibson

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Résumé :
The middle of the 20 Century was a time of turmoil. The Cold War was underway and Mr. McCarthy, chairman of the House UnAmerican Activities Committee, was weeding out those whose patriotism was questionable. At any moment Russia could drop an atomic bomb on Stockton, the only inland seaport in California. Therefore at the College of the Pacific, students were versed in survival procedures &mdash...

Biographie:
s girls reverted to normalcy. We gossiped, we argued, we strummed ukuleles, we told raunchy jokes, and in the September heat we stripped to nothing and tap danced to the rhythm of Eastside, Westside. Interaction with boys was a major topic of conversation. We learned to say You better have fun there because that&rsquo...

Sommaire:
go rapidly to the levee and jump into the water (girls on one side and boys on the other.) This was an example of a culture moving into the Atomic Age. Meanwhile at Mu Zeta Rho, Mrs. Dillingham was taking seriously her responsibility to lead her girls into adulthoods that conformed to her Victorian ideals. We were constantly subjected to the manners of that era. We never pick up our forks before our hostess does. At the table we only talk about topics that concern everyone. Sororities hosted teas, at which the attendees practiced vital behaviors such as how to pour the beverage into the cup and how to hostess conversations. But out of sight of our mentor, the adolescent behavior prevailed. In the privacy of our upstairs quarters, Mrs. Dillingham&rsquo...