Us history chapter 30 betty friedan the feminine mystique. In it, he exposed a startling, weirdly littleknown truth about its. Other readers will always be interested in your opinion of the books youve read. The feminine mystique by betty friedan 2032 words bartleby. Summary of betty friedans the feminine mystique 1537 words 7 pages. Whether youve loved the book or not, if you give your honest and detailed thoughts then people will find new books that are right for them. Betty friedan was an american feminist writer and activist. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Start studying us history chapter 30 betty friedan the feminine mystique. Her book, the feminine mystique, published on february 19, 1963, shook the ground beneath an american society rooted in a myth of. 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. In the feminine mystique 1963, american author and feminist betty friedan referred to the problem that has no name, in which women felt constrained, unsatisfied, and unhappy in their roles as wives, mothers, and homemakers.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. As a magazine writer i often interviewed women about problems with their children, or. Summary of the feminine mystique 723 words bartleby. Free download or read online the feminine mystique pdf epub book. The publication of betty friedans the feminine mystique, on february 17, 1963, is often cited as the founding moment of secondwave feminism. The feminine mystique, written by betty friedan and published in 1963, is one of the literary works that sparked the beginning of secondwave feminism in the united states. 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. Landmark, groundbreaking, classicthese adjectives barely. Today it newly penetrates to the heart of issues determining our lives and sounds a call to arms against the very real dangers of a new feminine mystique in the economic and political turbulence of the 1990s. Gradually i came to realize that the problem that has no name was shared by countless women in america. The feminine mystique by betty friedan is published. Video the feminine mystique watch makers women who make america online pbs video. Betty friedan is to women what martin luther king, jr. In the feminine mystique, betty friedan put a spotlight on the hidden, yet immense problems women faced during the 1950s.
Betty friedans enduring mystique the new york times. Daniel horowitz further complicated the books legacy with his 1998 book betty friedan and the making of the feminine mystique. In 1963, writer, feminist and womens rights activist betty friedan published the feminine mystique, which explores the idea of women finding fulfillment beyond traditional. Why is the feminine mystique still important and affecting todays society. Friedan wrote a book named the feminine mystique, which has become an international bestseller and has sold over one million copies since its release in 1963citation, from opening of book.
The book highlighted friedans view of a coercive and pervasive postworld war ii ideology of female domesticity that stifled middleclass womens opportunities to be anything but homemakers. The feminine mystique betty friedan chapter 2 the happy housewife heroine why have so many american wives suffered this nameless aching dissatisfaction for so many years, each one thinking she was alone. The feminine mystique, by betty friedan, was one of the most important. The beauty of this is that each person, even if reading the same book, leaves the final page with a different message. This book describes the early 20th century turning of women from vital human beings, who were fulfilled by higher education and work, into a mystique that proved to be a mix of self. 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.
The most important book of the twentieth century is the feminine mystique. The main characters of this feminism, non fiction story are. Until i started writing the feminine mystique she confessed in 1973, i wasnt even. 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 by betty friedan the feminine mystique by betty friedan is a landmark book of its time, and it is still relevant for all women today. Yet as daniel horowitz persuasively demonstrates in this illuminating and provocative biography, the roots of friedans feminism run much deeper than she has led us to believe. The feminine mystique says that the highest value and the only commitment for women is the fulfillment of their own femininity, betty friedan wrote in the feminine mystiques second chapter, the happy housewife heroine. The feminine mystique by betty friedan 1793 words 8 pages. The feminine mystique, a landmark book by feminist betty friedan published in 1963 that described the pervasive dissatisfaction among women in mainstream. The book that changed the consciousness of a countryand the world. 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 by betty friedan, published in 1963, is often seen as the beginning of the womens liberation movement. Publication of the feminine mystique by betty friedan. The feminine mystique, by betty friedan, ushered in a second wave of feminist thought and progress in the united states. Ive got tears in my eyes with sheer relief that my own inner turmoil is shared with other women, a young.
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. 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. The feminine mystique is a book by betty friedan that is widely credited with sparking the beginning of secondwave feminism in the united states. This persuasive argument against the cult of the 1950s housewife was an important motor for secondwave feminism, writes hermione hoby. The feminine mystique betty friedan, parker posey on. The feminine mystique dren at nursery school and taken them home to nap, two of the women cried, in sheer relief, just to know they were not alone.
This is the book that defined the problem that has no name. She also helped advance the womens rights movement as one of the founders of the national organization for women now. A sensation on publication selling over 3 million copies, it established friedan as one of the chief architects of the womens liberation movement. Barbara seaman, author of free and female the feminine mystique stated the trouble with women so clearly that every.
Ever since the 1963 publication of her landmark book, the feminine mystique, betty friedan has insisted that her commitment to womens rights grew out of her experiences as an alienated suburban housewife. Buy the feminine mystique penguin modern classics 01 by friedan, betty isbn. Betty friedan 1921 2006 was an american writer, activist and feminist, widely credited with starting the second wave of the womens movement in the united states with her 1963 book the feminine mystique. Today is the anniversary of a book publishing event that was truly transformative. Feminist theorist bell hooks took betty friedans book to task for its racial. Today, its well known that betty friedans 1963 work the feminine mystique wasand still isa seminal, revolutionary piece of literature. Writer, feminist and womens rights activist betty friedan wrote the feminine mystique 1963 and cofounded the national organization for women. When i read friedans seminal 1963 work the feminine mystique at. It is the most famous of betty friedans works, and it made her a household name. 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. Landmark, groundbreaking, classicthese adjectives barely describe the earthshaking and longlasting effects of betty friedans the feminine mystique. Feminists of the 1960s and 1970s would later say the feminine mystique was the book that started it all. Friedan was inspired to write her experiences after interviewing classmates from smith college at their 15th anniversary reunion. Betty friedan, who ignited cause in feminine mystique.
Her book, the feminine mystique, published on february 19, 1963, shook the ground beneath an american society rooted in a myth of pleasant. Friedan is credited for starting the contemporary feminist movement and writing a book that is one of the cornerstones of american feminism. Pdf the feminine mystique book by betty friedan free. 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. 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. The national organization of women formed in its wake. Video the feminine mystique watch makers women who make. 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. The first edition of the novel was published in february 19th 1963, and was written by betty friedan. She coined the term feminine mystique to describe the societal assumption that women could find fulfillment through housework, marriage, sexual passivity, and child. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 592 pages and is available in paperback format.
The books 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. 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. First published in 1963, the feminine mystique ignited a revolution that profoundly changed our culture, our consciousness, and our lives. The feminine mystique by betty friedan is published history. 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. Betty friedans impact on politics and culture duration. In the feminine mystique, betty friedan wrote about this problem of idealized happysuburbanhousewife image that was marketed to many women as their best if not their only option in life. In 1966, friedan cofounded and was elected the first president of the national organization for women, which aimed to bring women into the mainstream of american society now fully equal partnership with men. Betty friedan and the making of the feminine mystique.