Differences And Similarities Between Goldman And Betty Friedan

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Emma Goldman and Betty Friedan are well known feminist. They both lived during the 20th century but were apart of different feminist waves. Goldman was considered a first wave feminist which had woman seeking for suffrage rights and other legal issues. Friedan was a part of the second wave which demanded sexuality and reproductive equality. The only difference they have is that they were of a different feminist wave but their texts’ have shown slight similarities. Both women seem to share similar thoughts on marriage and that will be shown in this essay. Goldman wrote an essay on her thoughts about marriage named “Marriage & Love.” In it she gives reasons why marriage has no meaning of love and why it’s just a made up thing by society. Goldman …show more content…

It may seem that it benefits women but it justifies men’s superiority over women. While in Betty Friedan’s excerpt from her book, Feminine Mystique, she talks about similar reasons to why women are suffering of a problem that has no name. She writes during the 1963, which was post-war and she tells us what women were going through. During the 1960’s society had an ideal of a women. All women wanted to reach that ideal since it seemed to be the perfect women. Women wanted to become the ideal suburban housewife. This was a healthy, beautiful woman, who only cared for her husband, children and her home. This ideal was pursued more often than becoming a professional. The ideal became very popular amongst women that they would stop going for farther education. Soon universities stopped admitting women. Since the few that actually went would get married very early and leave, they only wanted only alumnus. Also, universities and society thought it was not necessary since that knowledge wasn’t going to be used to be a good housewife. After a while women began feeling dissatisfied. They would keep quiet because they thought they were wrong since they reached their goal of becoming the ideal housewife. They had good husbands, children, a house and all the stuff that came with being a good housewife. But all of that didn’t seem to be enough, and some felt their lives being

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