This perpetuated the idea that women should feel naturally fulfilled in devoting their lives to the home. The stories and articles therein were focuses on happy housewives or unhappy women who had chosen careers. Friedan ends the chapter with an announcement-"We can no longer ignore that voice within women that says: 'I want something more than my husband and my children and my home.'"Ĭhapter 2: Friedan states that media is a contributing factor to the "feminine mystique" and that men are the driving force behind the editorial decisions of women's magazines. This American idea of a housewife directly contradicted the actual trends that were occurring. American culture insisted that women could find happiness in marriage and being a housewife. The average age of marriage was dropping and the birthrate was increasing and yet there was a continuing trend in the unhappiness of women. She illustrates the problem with stories of sever unhappy housewives from the United States who struggled with fulfillment despite living in comfort and having seemingly "perfect" families.Ĭhapter 1: Friedan discusses the trends in marriage and births that affected women in the 1950s. This experience prompted her research into the phenomenon that was plaguing these suburban housewives.įriedan begins her introduction by discussing "the problem that has no name." She uses this to generally refer to the unhappiness of women in the 1950s and 1960s. After talking with many of them, she realized that they were unhappy and felt unfulfilled in their lives as housewives. Friedan was inspired to write her experiences after interviewing classmates from Smith College at their 15th anniversary reunion. The Feminine Mystique, written by Betty Friedan and published in 1963, is one of the literary works that sparked the beginning of second-wave feminism in the United States. Written by Leah Smith and other people who wish to remain anonymous We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own.
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