preview

The Feminine Mystique Summary

Decent Essays

Consequently, this led to the emergence of feminist groups and heightened awareness of gender inequality, which further increased employment opportunities for women in the 20th century; World War II had solidified the notion that women were capable and deserved to be in the workforce, leading to more campaigns for rights and opportunities and women’s heightened awareness of their potential and need for change. In The Feminine Mystique, a nonfiction book written by Betty Friedan, Friedan challenged the widely spread belief in the 1950s that a woman's only fulfilment and role is as a housewife or mother. The book discusses the lives of housewives in the United States who were unhappy even though they were living in comfort and married: “Each suburban wife struggled with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, matched slipcover material . . . lay beside her husband at night - she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question - …show more content…

She supported and helped Franklin Roosevelt, her husband and the 32nd president of the United States, during his presidency, while being a major political figure in her own right; Eleanor served on the United States delegation to the United Nations (1945-1953) and developed and gained support for a worldwide statement for women’s equality (Editors of Biography.com). She wrote a monthly question-and-answer column titled "If You Ask Me" from 1941 to 1949. Included in the excerpt is a question from a reader asking her opinion on the wives of servicemen following them to war camps. Roosevelt responded with the fact that women could be very helpful at camp if she is capable of realizing that war is more important than she is (“Roosevelt, Eleanor”). In her column, she tackled all sorts of questions, including national and international issues and practical advice on family

Get Access