New Gibson Girl

As this course comes to a close I feel as though I can say I have left with more knowledge then I would have expected on the traits and characteristics of who the Gibson Girl was. I was rather surprised to read that the idea of the Gibson Girl came from the drawings of a man. "Gibson himself could keep up with the fashions--the new shorter terraced skirts, the coronets of braided hair and the Merry Widow hats--and keep up with the changing social conventions--automobile driving, dashing to parties, dancing and having fun--but he was uncomfortable with American woman's seemingly increasing free-floating morality" (pg. 179). After everything we have discussed in class it amazes me that all the women's rights movements and everything women fought for themselves were brought on by the ideas of the Gibson Girl created by a man. Maybe more of women's rights were a joint effort than we were taught to believe?