The feminine mystique is a book by betty friedan that is widely credited with sparking the beginning of secondwave feminism in the united states. The feminine mystique now feels both revolutionary and utterly contemporary. Friedans findings provided a cleareyed analysis of the issues that affected womens lives in the decades after the second world war, and became the basis to her book, the feminine mystique. May 30, 2016 betty friedan, the godmother of the postwar us womens movement, was an accidental feminist.
Extract from friedans the feminine mystique tue 7 feb 2006 06. Barkerbenfield and catherine clinton new york, 1991, 599615. But it showed that with all the education, american women. Norton in 1957, friedan was asked to conduct a survey of her former smith college classmates for their 15th anniversary reunion. In hindsight, its difficult to gauge the full impact of certain books. Friedan also cites world war ii as the main impetus for the development of the feminine mystique. He mentioned the book in the class which was amazing and ive wanted to read it, but i waited until i finally managed to read the feminine mystique which i would recommend.
Male homosexuality as the endpoint of the feminine mystique is not just artificial, a regrettable but accidental distortion of the reality it overlays. The suburban houewlfeshe of the efican women it was said, of women all over the world. The feminine mystique 50th anniversary edition kindle. The feminine mystique project gutenberg selfpublishing. Primary source analysis on the feminine mystique essay.
The feminine mystique is the false notion that a womans role in society is to be a wife, mother, and housewife nothing else. World war ii was such a monumental event that it is commonly used as a cultural divider for the twentieth century. This murky smog is the final smut, the last dirty word in the story of the mystique. 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 50th anniversary edition ebook. Since its first publication in 1963, millions of people have read the feminine. Npr stories about the feminine mystique betty friedan, cofounder of national organization for women now, speaks during the womens strike for equality event in new york on aug. The feminine mystique 1963 bestselling book by feminist thinker betty friedan. It was written in a postwar era when women were sent back home from the factories to concentrate on family and home and to be the dutiful wife in a. She coined the term feminine mystique to describe the societal assumption that women could find fulfillment through housework, marriage, sexual passivity, and child rearing alone. Sep 17, 2001 the book that pulled the trigger on history. The feminine mystique by betty friedan vulpes libris. The feminine mystique norton critical editions 50 anv edition by friedan, betty 2012 paperback.
Jan 27, 20 in a strange way, all those deficits are the book s strength. Feminists of the 1960s and 1970s would later say the feminine mystique was the book that started it all. Stephanie coontzs useful revisiting of friedans book, a strange stirring. February 4, 1921 february 4, 2006 was an american feminist writer and activist.
This is the book that defined the problem that has no name, that launched the second wave of the feminist movement, and has been awakening women and men with. The feminine mystique and american women at the dawn of the 1960s basic. The questionnaire was quite interesting, and it raised more questions than it answered. In the book, friedan defines womens unhappiness as the problem that has no name, then she launches. Her work propelled the stagnant womens rights movement into its second wave and helped women reclaim some equality.
Interviews with betty friedan, edited by janann sherman. For insightful readings of friedans book, see donald meyer, betty friedan, in portraits ofamerican women. Due to the uncertainty of the corona virus, the feminine mystique art gallery will be closed for 2 weeks starting march 20. The feminine mystique by betty friedan, published in 1963, is often seen as the beginning of the womens liberation movement. Us history chapter 30 betty friedan the feminine mystique. Mar 04, 2010 friedans findings provided a cleareyed analysis of the issues that affected womens lives in the decades after the second world war, and became the basis to her book, the feminine mystique.
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 historical document. Landmark, groundbreaking, classicthese adjectives barely describe the earthshaking and longlasting effects of betty friedans the feminine mystique. 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. Discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your. The feminine mystique by betty friedan, 9781423395645, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Throughout the book, friedan compares many prewar and postwar statistics and examples to support her points.
In her book she draws on research into popular culture of the 40s, 50s, and 60s, and interviews with nearly 200 women who read the feminine mystique shortly after it was published. The feminine mystique chapters 5 8 summary and analysis. 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 feminine mystique by betty friedan, 9780141192055, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The feminine mystique has been credited or blamed for destroying, singlehandedly and almost overnight, the 1950s consensus that womens place was in the home. Its a great moment to celebrate this milestone work, which fundamentally altered the course of. Those who think of it as solely a feminist manifesto ought to revisit its pages to get a sense of the magnitude of the research and reporting friedan. Daniel horowitz further complicated the book s legacy with his 1998 book betty friedan and the making of the feminine mystique. Until i started writing the feminine mystique she confessed in 1973, i wasnt even. 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. If youve never read it, read it now and reflect on what our mothers and grandmothers were feeling at the time. 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. Friedan begins the feminine mystique with an introduction describing the problem that has no namethe widespread unhappiness of women.
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. This 50thanniversary edition features an afterword by bestselling author anna quindlen as well as a new introduction by gail collins. Online the feminine mystique by betty friedan english how download format german audio price. The problem was the feminine mystique, which was also the title of her groundbreaking book, published 50 years ago. The hub of the book is the meaning of the title, which friedan explains as the. Why the feminine mystique is still worth reading in 20. Jan 14, 2019 the feminine mystique by betty friedan, published in 1963, is often seen as the beginning of the womens liberation movement. 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 forced to seek meaning in their lives only through. Betty friedans the feminine mystique gave americas housewives an answer to the problem that has. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. This month marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of the feminine mystique, betty friedans book that raised the consciousness of millions who read it and shared it in a 1960s kind of way. Every writer yearns to create a book that will seize the moment to perfectly encapsulate the problem of an era before other people even notice the problem exists. Discussion of themes and motifs in betty friedans the feminine mystique. The feminine mystique to take a job in a realestate office.
It became the bible for the secondwave of feminism. The feminine mystique is a very specific cry of rage about the way intelligent, welleducated women were kept out of the. Betty friedan, the feminist crusader and author whose searing first book, the feminine mystique, ignited the contemporary womens movement in 1963 and as a result permanently transformed the. Betty friedan and the making of the feminine mystique. The feminine mystique by friedan, first edition abebooks. Ive been wanting to read this book since about 2011 when i had the author as a professor in his final semester teaching. The feminine mystique forever changed the conversation as well as the way women view themselves. Potter 1 rebecca potter gray section 4975 12 may 2015 primary source analysis on the feminine mystique the feminine mystique is the title of a book written by betty friedan who has also founded the national organization for women now to help us women gain equal rights. The book that changed the consciousness of a country. This work challenged women to move beyond the drudgery of suburban housewifery and helped launch what would become secondwave feminism. The mystique is an artificial idea of femininity that says having a career andor fulfilling ones individual potential somehow go against womens preordained role. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the feminine mystique 50th anniversary edition. First published in 1963, the feminine mystique ignited a revolution that profoundly changed our culture, our conciousness, and our lives. The feminine mystique is the classic book that sparked a national discussion on womens roles and the problem that has no name in the 1960s.
In the feminine mystique, betty friedan put a spotlight on the hidden, yet immense problems women faced during the 1950s. This study guide consists of approximately 102 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge 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. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The feminine mystique 50th anniversary edition kindle edition by friedan, betty, collins, gail, quindlen, anna, collins, gail, quindlen, anna. In it, he exposed a startling, weirdly littleknown truth about its. This is the book that defined the problem that has no name, that launched the second wave of the feminist movement, and has been awakening women and men with its insights. Today it newly penetrates to the heart of isuues determining our lives and sounds a call to arms against the very real dangers of a newe feminine mystique in the economic and political turbulence of the 1990s. I found most of her ideas to be extremely well thought out, and i can imagine how much the american housewife of the sixties, and later, really needed these ideas.
Friedans book pulled the trigger on history, in the words of future shock author alvin toffler. 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. The feminine mystique 50th anniversary edition by betty friedan. Friedans controversial book about these women and every woman would ultimately set second wave feminism in motion and begin the battle for equality.
All she wanted, she said, was what every other american girl wantedto get married, have four children and live in a nice house in a nicesubtrrty. 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. For a womens history nerd like me, this book was awesome. We will all get through this hard time and be stronger for it. For a private showing in the gallery, call pat at 52098801. Landmark, groundbreaking, classicthese adjectives barely. Feb 07, 2006 every wifes silent question is this all. Part social chronicle, part manifesto, the feminine mystique is filled with fascinating anecdotes and interviews as well as insights that continue to inspire. Stephanie coontz teaches at the evergreen state college in olympia, washington, and serves as the director of research and public education at the council on contemporary families, a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of family researchers and practitioners based at the university of miami. Betty friedan wrote the feminine mystique to illuminate the plight of american women during the midnineteenth century through interviews with american housewives. The feminine mystique by betty friedan page 3 of 45.
It was and is important because it helped encourage so many women, during that. The reinvention of american society the feminine mystique now feels both revolutionary and utterly contemporary. Published in 1963, it gave a pitchperfect description of the problem that has no name. Radcliffes schlesinger library commemorated the 50th anniversary of betty friedans the feminine mystique by hosting a discussion on the evolution of gender roles since the book s release and its relevance to contemporary american society. The feminine mystique, by betty friedan, was one of the most important and influential texts of feminism in the 1960s. Definition of the feminine mystique the feminine mystique is the false notion that a womans role in society is to be a wife, mother, and housewife nothing else. 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. 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. A sensation on publication selling over 3 million copies, it established friedan as one of the chief architects of the womens liberation movement. Mar 01, 2010 the book that changed the consciousness of a countryand the world. In 1966, friedan cofounded and was elected the first.
The feminine mystique half a century later brain pickings. As the repository of betty friedans papers, radcliffes schlesinger library had good cause to recognize the first 50 years of her pathbreaking book, the. Landmark, groundbreaking, classicthese adjectives barely do justice to the pioneering vision and lasting impact of the feminine mystique. Here are the finest feminist books to brush up on your fem literature.
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