For her book the feminine mystique, betty friedan interviewed smith college graduates and found that most of the women reported having everything they could want but feeling unfulfilled which of the following outlawed job discrimination by private employers not only on the basis of race, color, religion, and national origin, but also on the. Four decades later, millions of individual transformations later, there is still so much to learn from this book. A leading figure in the womens movement in the united states, her 1963 book the feminine mystique is often credited with sparking the second wave of american feminism in the 20th century. Civil rights and protest questions flashcards quizlet. Jan 21, 2019 in her groundbreaking 1963 book the feminine mystique, feminist leader betty friedan dared to write about the problem that has no name. Nearly half of american women were in the workforce in the 1960s, but most worked. When betty friedan produced the feminine mystique in 1963, she could not have realized how the discovery and debate of her contemporaries general malaise would shake up society. In her book, the feminine mystique, betty friedan argued that the glorification of the roles is wife and mother was. Betty friedans feminine mystique 50 years later the.
Women felt this sense of depression because they were forced to be subservient to men financially, mentally, physically, and intellectually. The questionnaire was quite interesting, and it raised more questions than it. Friedan begins the feminine mystique with an introduction describing the problem that has no namethe widespread unhappiness of women. Jan 14, 2019 the feminine mystique by betty friedan, published in 1963, is often seen as the beginning of the womens liberation movement. The feminine mystique by betty friedan is an iconic book that relentlessly changed the way the american woman saw herself, until its first publication in 1963. The feminine mystique pdf summary betty friedan 12min blog.
February 4, 1921 february 4, 2006 was an american feminist writer and activist. Labor union radicalism and feminism in cold war america, daniel horowitz sets out to reshape our understanding of both friedans past and her reasons for writing the feminine mystique 1963 by bringing to light a new way of looking at a time in friedans life that is absent from the book. How can betty friedans theory of the feminine mystique be. Wave of feminism through the writing of her book the feminine mystique. Explain her reasons for writing the feminine mystique. Betty wrote the first two of her books in the fredrick lewis allen room of the new york city public library. Using a practice that becomes common throughout the book, friedan offers several case studies of unhappy women from around the united states, and she wonders whether this unhappiness is related to the female. National organization of women, 1966, betty friedan first president, wanted equal employment. Used public demonstrations and protests to draw attention to their goals. Best known for starting the second wave of feminism through the writing of her book the feminine mystique. Betty friedan was one of the founders of the national organization for women. For her book the feminine mystique, betty friedan interviewed smith. Buy the feminine mystique reprint by friedan, betty, quindlen, anna isbn.
The feminine mystique is the title of a book written by betty friedan who also founded the national organization for women now to help us women gain equal rights. Jan 18, 20 the feminine mystique 1963 is a powerful critique of womens roles in contemporary american society. She describes the feminine mystique as the heightened awareness of the expectations of women and how each woman has to fit a certain role as a. Today, its well known that betty friedans 1963 work the feminine mystique wasand still isa seminal, revolutionary piece of literature. In the feminine mystique, betty friedan put a spotlight on the hidden, yet immense problems women faced during the 1950s. The feminine mystique project gutenberg selfpublishing. Betty friedans enduring mystique the new york times. Youll be able to continue learning about this famous book by checking out our lesson titled the feminine mystique. It also includes a summary of the feminine mystique and an overview of major topics and arguments.
Us history chapter 30 betty friedan the feminine mystique. Jul 14, 2017 published in 1963, betty friedans the feminine mystique articulately illuminates the discontent position of american woman, particularly that of middleclass housewives, in the midtwentieth century. Betty friedans book the feminine mystique, published in 1963, sparked a. Until i started writing the feminine mystique she confessed in 1973, i wasnt even. Friedan was a college graduate and reporter who lost her job when pregnant with the second of her three children. Betty friedans the feminine mystique essay 1284 words. May 30, 2016 betty friedan, the godmother of the postwar us womens movement, was an accidental feminist. But i think that education, and only education, has saved, and can continue to save, american women from the greater dangers of the feminine mystique. This is the book that defined the problem that has no name, that launched the second wave of the feminist movement, and. Best known for starting the second wave of feminism through the writing of her book the feminine mystique an account of housewives lives in which they subordinated their own aspirations to the needs of men. In 1957, friedan was asked to conduct a survey of her former smith college classmates for their 15th anniversary reunion. Using a practice that becomes common throughout the book, friedan offers.
The feminine mystique, first published in 1963, remains one of the most powerful works of popular nonfiction written in america. The book s overall message that the only acceptable role of housewife and mother does not fulfill women reached over one million readers in 1964, a year after the book was published. May 18, 2018 inspired by her 1957 survey of former college friends, betty friedans the feminine mystique is one of the books if not the book which created the feminist movement. Us history chapter 30 betty friedan the feminine mystique quizlet. The feminine mystique, by betty friedan, ushered in a second wave of feminist thought and progress in the united states. The feminine mystique discussed the idealized happysuburbanhousewife image that then was marketed to many women as their best if not their only option in life. It is based on the simple premise that many women are unhappy with their roles as mothers and housewives. Mar 08, 20 i think when the feminine mystique came out, betty friedan put into words what was in so many peoples hearts, that they couldnt have themselves articulated. What message did betty friedan try to communicate in her writing about feminism.
When i read friedans seminal 1963 work the feminine mystique at age 16, it changed my lifefor the first time, i understood that feminism could be. Excerpt from the feminine mystique following is an excerpt from the feminine mystique, by betty friedan. Betty friedan powerfully articulated this message in her groundbreaking book the feminine mystique. What was president eisenhowers most important and farreaching domestic initiative. This lesson contains a brief biography of betty friedan, author of the feminine mystique. Nanette fondas the atlantic the feminine mystique now feels both revolutionary and utterly contemporary.
The feminine mystique 50th anniversary edition betty. What was betty friedan referring to when she wrote about the problem that has no name, in her bestselling book, the feminine mystique. In the feminine mystique, betty friedan wrote about this problem of idealized. Betty friedans the feminine mystique and sue kaufmans diary of a mad housewife bettina balser, the narrator of sue kaufmans diary of a mad housewife, is an attractive, intelligent woman living in an affluent community of new york city with her successful husband and her two charming children. The national organization of women formed in its wake.
Betty friedan wrote the book the feminine mystique which ignited the contemporary womens movement in 1963. Friedan conducted an intensive questionnaire of her smith college classmates 15 years after their graduation, and in the results, some tortured, some serene, identified a schizophrenic split. Feministic in a good way, without the morbid extravaganza other reads of that type hold, its relevant even now and if you dont choose to believe so, at least you can appreciate it as a. Landmark, groundbreaking, classicthese adjectives barely describe the earthshaking and longlasting effects of betty friedans the feminine mystique. Betty friedan, the godmother of the postwar us womens movement, was an accidental feminist. In her 1963 book the feminine mystique, betty friedan argued thatthe idealization of domesticity pressured women to seek fulfillment in serving others. Yet friedan did offer an analysis of her role in the creation of the women. Best known for starting the second wave of feminism through the writing of her book the feminine mystique an account of housewives lives in which they. Mar 01, 2010 the book that changed the consciousness of a countryand the world. The questionnaire was quite interesting, and it raised more questions than it answered. Victims of a false belief system, these women were following strict social convention by loyally conforming to the pretty image of the magazines, and found themselves. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The feminine mystique, a landmark book by feminist betty friedan published in 1963 that described the pervasive dissatisfaction among women in mainstream american society in the postworld war ii period. Apr 10, 2010 the feminine mystique by betty friedan this persuasive argument against the cult of the 1950s housewife was an important motor for secondwave feminism hermione hoby.
In her book the feminine mystique, betty friedan described the problem that has no name. Reading betty friedans feminine mystique for the first time, 50 years after its publication, a critic found that the book still has the power to surprise and unsettle. Using a practice that becomes common throughout the book, friedan offers several case studies of unhappy women from around the united states, and she wonders whether this unhappiness is related to the female role of housewife. Her work ignited the contemporary womens movement in 1963 and as a result permanently transformed the social fabric of the united states. This chapter begins with a personal anecdotea lifechanging moment in which betty friedan acknowledges that at age 21, she had no plan for her adult life. I think when the feminine mystique came out, betty friedan put into words what was in so many peoples hearts, that they couldnt have themselves articulated. The feminine mystique is a 1963 book by betty friedan which is widely credited with sparking the beginning of secondwave feminism in the united states. The passage of the interstate highway and defense system act of 1956. Mar 25, 2016 in rethinking betty friedan and the feminine mystique. Offered a prestigious graduate fellowship at berkeley, she walked away. Feminists of the 1960s and 1970s would later say the feminine mystique was the book that started it all. The problem lay buried, unspoken, for many years in the minds of american women. Relevance and limitations in contemporary western culture in 1963, betty friedan published the feminine mystique, a book that addressed the growing discontent of american middleclass housewives excluded from social and productive.
Betty friedan wrote the feminine mystique 50 years ago, but today her wisdom still merits sharing. In 1966, friedan cofounded and was elected the first. Friedans book that suggested that women had a problem with no name, meaning that women lacked selffulfillment in their careers as mothers and housewives. With her book the feminine mystique 1963, betty friedan 19212006 broke new ground by exploring the idea of women finding personal fulfillment outside of their traditional roles. The feminine mystique is a book by betty friedan that is widely credited with sparking the beginning of secondwave feminism in the united states. Her work propelled the stagnant womens rights movement into its second wave and helped women reclaim some equality. The feminine mystique, by betty friedan the independent. Although there has been recent criticism of betty friedans book the feminine mystique, there is no doubt, even in the minds of her harshest critics, that her book had such a profound impact on.
Betty friedan was a project entered into the 20092010 national history fair. It is the most famous of betty friedans works, and it made her a household name. Organizing committee headed by cesar chavez, it succeeded in helping to improve working. In the feminine mystique, friedan explores the unhappiness of mid20 th century women, describing women s unhappiness as the problem that has no name. Betty friedan quotes author of the feminine mystique. Betty friedan 19212006, a transformational leader of the womens movement, founded the national organization for women now and authored many works, including the second stage, the fountain of age, and life so far. The feminine mystique has made higher education for women seem suspect, unnecessary and even dangerous. Betty friedan was a housewife and mother with a long history of political activism. Indeed, the feminine mystique grew out of an idea friedan had proposed to mccalls, ladies home journal and redbook, all of which rejected. The feminine mystique by betty friedan was an influential book in the 1960s. The feminine mystique by betty friedan this persuasive argument against the cult of the 1950s housewife was an important motor for secondwave feminism hermione hoby.
51 593 676 1330 1259 1054 735 471 1338 189 17 437 1298 473 1275 305 1240 386 1449 1238 338 999 540 1010 341 790 1475 580 862 911 640 62 985 728 218 1128 26 505 393 490 462 1173 571 749