Love on the Rocks: Men, Women, and Alcohol in Post-World War II America

325 Pages·2002·0.84 MB·English

by  Lori Rotskoff

LOVE
ON THE
ROCKS
gender american culture
&
Coeditors
Thadious M. Davis
Linda K. Kerber
Editorial Advisory Board
Nancy Cott Annette Kolodny
Cathy N. Davidson Wendy Martin
Jane Sherron De Hart Nell Irvin Painter
Sara Evans Janice Radway
Mary Kelley Barbara Sicherman
LORI ROTSKOFF
LOVE
MEN, WOMEN, AND ALCOHOL IN
ON THE
POST–WORLD WAR II AMERICA
ROCKS
The University of North Carolina Press Chapel Hill & London
∫ 2002
The University of North Carolina Press
All rights reserved
Manufactured in the United States of America
Set in Adobe Caslon and Bahnhof types
by Keystone Typesetting, Inc.
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for
permanence and durability of the Committee on
Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the
Council on Library Resources.
Library of Congress
Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rotsko√, Lori.
Love on the rocks : men, women, and alcohol in post–
World War II America / by Lori Rotsko√.
p. cm. — (Gender and American culture)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
isbn 0-8078-2728-2 (cloth: alk. paper)
isbn 0-8078-5402-6 (pbk.: alk. paper)
1. Alcoholism—United States—History—20th century.
2. Drinking of alcoholic beverages—United States—
History—20th century. 3. Alcoholics—United States—
Family relationships—History—20th century.
4. Alcoholics—Rehabilitation—United States—History—
20th century. 5. Sex role—United States—History—20th
century. I. Title. II. Gender & American culture
hv5292 .r68 2002
394.1%3%09730904—dc21 2002002093
cloth 06 05 04 03 02 5 4 3 2 1
paper 06 05 04 03 02 5 4 3 2 1
to my parents
Judi and Ken Rotsko√

contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
Chapter 1. Cultures of Drink in Prohibition and Post-Repeal America 17
Dissolute Manhood and the Rituals of Intemperance 17
Righteous Womanhood and the Politics of Temperance 27
Depression, War, and the Rise of Social Drinking 34
Drink, Gender, and Sociability in the 1930s and 1940s 52
Chapter 2. Engendering the Alcoholic 61
From Intemperance to Alcoholism 61
Diagnosing the Alcoholic Man 69
Problem Drinkers and Returning Veterans in
Postwar Popular Culture 86
Chapter 3. Alcoholics Anonymous and the Culture of Sobriety 105
The Social Foundations of Mutual Help in the 1930s and 1940s 105
The Early Membership of Alcoholics Anonymous 114
Gendered Rituals of Fellowship 122
Gendered Narratives of Illness and Recovery 139
Chapter 4. The Dilemma of the Alcoholic Marriage 149
Diagnosing the Alcoholic’s Wife 149
The Wives of AA and Al-Anon in the 1940s and 1950s 162
Rehabilitating the Alcoholic Marriage 171
Chapter 5. Drink and Domesticity in Postwar America 194
The Alcoholic Culture of the Postwar Suburbs 194
Alcohol and Family Trouble in Postwar Fiction and
Popular Culture 211
Drinking, Consumerism, and the Cultural Significance of
Alcoholism 228
Conclusion 235
Notes 243
Bibliography 283
Index 301
acknowledgments
After working on this project for so long, I am happy to recognize
those who have aided my e√orts. I have accumulated many debts—
personal and professional—that I am eager to acknowledge.
My interest in American cultural history was sparked while I was an
undergraduate at Northwestern University, where I had the privilege of
studying with Karen Halttunen. An outstanding teacher, mentor, and
friend, she has continued to o√er me wise counsel over the past decade.
Her careful reading of my manuscript improved my prose immeasurably.
This book originated in a seminar paper and, later, a dissertation I
wrote as a graduate student in the American Studies program at Yale
University. Jean-Christophe Agnew first encouraged me to pursue this
project, and at times he seemed to understand better than I did why it was
worth pursuing. I am grateful for his unflagging interest in my topic and
for his willingness to share invaluable insights about the writing of cul-
tural history. Nancy F. Cott has been a most reliable and encouraging
mentor; I thank her not only for the model of her own teaching and
scholarship but also for the sound advice and helpful criticism she has
o√ered along the way. Michael Denning’s perceptive responses to early
drafts greatly enriched this study and led me to ask new, fresh questions of
my material.
Many friends and colleagues at Yale, including Elspeth Brown, Julia
Ehrhardt, Catherine Gudis, Je√ Hardwick, Marina Moskowitz, and Re-
becca Schreiber, o√ered intelligent advice and support, especially during
our dissertation writing years. I have benefited greatly from Ann Fabian’s
perceptive reading of my work, as well as her abiding friendship.
As fellow panelists at academic conferences, Elayne Rapping, Kath-
erine Chavigny, and Trysh Travis shared their research findings and ideas
in ways that have enriched my own endeavors. In their capacity as com-
mentators and panel chairs, several people have read and commented on
earlier drafts of my chapters, including Harry Marks, Rima Apple, Nancy
Tomes, David Musto, and Scott Haine. Over the years my conversations