HILTON OBENZINGER: “THE FEMALE HUCK FINN OF THE FLAPPER ERA”

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes features one of the classic voices in American literature, Lorelei from Little Rock, the imagined author of, as the subtitle puts it, “The Illuminating Diary of a Professional Lady.” Lorelei is the female Huck Finn of the flapper era, writing her book with misspellings, funny constructions and unintentional ironies, who’s out to snag her rich man; she is naive, shrewd and seemingly unaware as she exposes the absurdities and pretensions of boom-time capitalism. Published in 1925, the novel introduced the new woman, now able to vote, smoke, dance, and drink – and finagle her rich escorts. It’s a hilarious send-up of new social dynamics, particularly the idea that women could get rich too through sexual manipulation. Her friend Dorothy describes Lorelei’s brains as a miracle: “I mean she said my brains reminded her of a radio because you listen to it for days and days and you get discouradged and just when you are getting ready to smash it, something comes out that is a masterpiece.” The novel is that masterpiece.