How do you imagine World War Two affected personal and romantic relationships? What do you think were Americans' attitudes toward marriage then—and did those attitudes change at all for the "code girls" generation?
Created: 09/26/18
Replies: 7
Join Date: 10/15/10
Posts: 3442
How do you imagine World War Two affected personal and romantic relationships? What do you think were Americans' attitudes toward marriage then—and did those attitudes change at all for the "code girls" generation?
Join Date: 04/21/11
Posts: 281
Men wanted marriage, someone to come home to, to write to, to be waiting when war was over. Women had new freedoms and occupations and usually were content to enjoy their changes, content to wait for marriage.
Join Date: 08/12/16
Posts: 233
I don't think the ideals changed for the code girls generation...men still were in the forefront of leaders and needing someone at home to write to and be waiting for them when they came back from the war. The code girls were pretty much forced to return to that hierarchy after their work was done.
Join Date: 07/13/18
Posts: 2
World War Two dramatically affected personal and romantic relationships in that the entire country was obliged to accept the fact that we were in a fight that threatened our very existence as a country. The "Children of the Depression" had seen enough hard times & they were whole-heartedly determined to make the most of any chance to improve their opportunities for a better future. Foreign occupation was not an outcome America was willing to tolerate - male & female, young & old they knew how to fi
ght, to do without & keep their freedom. The "code girls" generation needed nothing but a chance to prove themselves equal to the challenges ahead.
Join Date: 06/25/13
Posts: 347
I believe the war hurried up relationships. The men and women both were afraid of the future. Women wanted to do their part, but had a difficult time because men did not believe they could do it. It was hard for many women after the war when they had to give up their jobs because the men came home. Many did not want to go back to women's roles.
Join Date: 07/14/12
Posts: 94
It actually reminded me of the Vietnam War (although upon men's return women did not have to give up their jobs en masse.) Although many opposed the war, there was the same pressure for women to quickly marry their drafted boy friends and/or write often to those sent overseas. Without emails/ twitter, Skype, etc. letters came weeks apart, 2 or 3 at a time. And divorces often occurred in the aftermath. My own husband of almost 50 years was "just a friend" (I was engaged to another fellow) so, of course, I related strongly with Dot Braden's situation.
Join Date: 05/29/15
Posts: 460
My parents married quickly after Pearl Harbor and before he shipped out. There were hasty marriages but I agree that these women had an opportunity they would not have otherwise had. Most of them stayed focused on their job and wanted to continue to do it.
Join Date: 09/14/12
Posts: 111
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