Summary: The Feminine Mystique
Susan Oliver writes an exceptional biography that describes in detail the life, success, struggles and failures of Betty Friedan. From her childhood as a divergent American-Jew living in Peoria, Illinois to being an outstanding student and writer in school, finding her path as a strong feminist at Smith College, her struggles as a mother and wife to mothering the second feminist movement. Susan Oliver explored all the factors that contributed to Betty Friedan’s strong private and public persona. Betty Friedan, a driving force of the second feminist movement, is barely recognized for the emancipation of women. Mostly known as the author of the Feminine Mystique, Susan Oliver made sure to demonstrate that Betty Friedan was more than a mere
It is common for people in everyday society to conform to society’s expectations while also questioning their true desires. In the novel, The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, the main protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess, "That outward existence which conforms, the inward life that questions." In other words, Edna outwardly conforms while questioning inwardly. Kate Chopin, uses this tension between outward conformity and inward questioning to build the meaning of the novel by examining Edna’s role as a wife, mother, and as nontraditional woman in the traditional Victorian period. Edna outwardly conforms to society’s expectations by marriage.
In her essay, “The Importance of Work,” from The Feminine Mystique published in 1963, Betty Friedan confronts American women’s search for identity. Throughout the novel, Betty Friedan breaks new ground, concocting the idea that women can discover personal fulfillment by straying away from their original roles. Friedan ponders on the idea that The Feminine Mystique is the cause for a vast majority of women during that time period to feel confined by their occupations around the house; therefore, restricting them from discovering who they are as women. Friedan’s novel is well known for creating a different kind of feminism and rousing various women across the nation.
The prejudice that the author brings forward strongly is the notion of feminism. The author’s main purpose of writing this novel is to examine the role of women played around
During his speech addressed to the UN general Assembly given on September 25,1961, John F. Kennedy stated, “Conformity is the Jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.” In other words, if we all accept the circumstances and go with the flow like dead fish, how can we know what we are capable of accomplishing-how much we can grow, especially as a nation? Conformity can be defined as the compliance with standards, rules, or laws or the moment you willingly chose to fit in when you’re meant to stand out. In the 1950s, a flood of social conformity washed over the country and had people leading similar and stereotypical lives. Many, at the time, strived for the comfort and simplicity depicted in TV shows such as “Father Knows Best” and “Leave it
The Breakdown that she has connects to Shoshana Felman 's What Does a Woman Want? and Franny 's actions connect to Judith Butler 's Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory. Salinger 's Franny is a story that
During her critic she focuses on Mrs. Mallard inner struggle against what she knows in her mind is socially acceptable but what she wants for herself which is not socially acceptable. Her emotions eventually win against the guilt allowing her to feel “self-assertion” in her perception against the social convention of patriarchy.
The search of identity is an issue familiar to contemporary society as well as to the society of 1963 when Betty Friedan published her feminist manifesto The Feminine Mystique. The main idea of Friedan 's article, "The Importance of Work," is the question of how individuals can recognize their full capacities and achieve identity. She argues that human identity is meaningful purposeful work, and individuals are not identified as women or men, just human based upon their work. Friedan believes work is what an individual does in his or her life; for example, snowboarding, songwriting, hockey, football etc. Friedan was an author, an activist, and the first president of the National Organization for Women.
In Kate Chopin’ s novel, The Awakening, there are three identities inside of the female leading role, Edna Pontellier, being a wife, mother and own self. Edna was born in 19th century at the Vitoria period, a patriarchy society, women have low freedom to achieve personal goal. She married with Léonce Pontellier, a wealthy man with Creole descent. After having a child, her life is still unchangeable and as bored as before. Until she encountered Robert Leburn, Mademoiselle Reisz, and Alcée Arobin, her value of self-cognition has changed.
Often times when a person is forced to outwardly conform while questioning themselves it leads to a struggle between their inner selves and what is expected of them. Outward conformity often oppresses a character’s true feelings of loneliness and being misunderstood. In The Awakening by Kate Chopin, the protagonist, Edna Pontellier, leads a dissatisfactory life. She is stuck in a loveless marriage, and has children, all in an attempt to conform to the social norm of the Victorian woman. However, she inwardly questions whether or not she should try to break free from this life to find her own independence and happiness.
In the book, The Rise of Enlightened Sexism by Susan Douglas, gives insight and knowledge that digs deep into pop culture explaining how the media portrays the appearances of women that are in powerful positions in our culture. The appetencies tent undermines the actual progress of women. Douglas is interested in what these pop culture ideals shows about our culture. The way we react to women in our culture with powerful influence. What do these shows do to the female imagine in our culture?
In the 1970’s women were expected to stay at home and take care of the household. They were usually not expected to further their education, but instead take care of the children or tend to their husbands’ needs. In 1972 Judy Brady decided to let the readers of Ms. Magazine know how she felt about her “duties”. In her short essay, “Why I Want a Wife,” Brady uses pathos to connect and appeal to the reader’s emotions while explaining why she wants a wife.
My Antonia Women; What is their true value? Why would someone make an effort to create an entire novel where the characters are constantly fighting gender stereotypes? Willa Cather wrote the book My Antonia during a time where women were finally making a stand for themselves. The main characters Antonia, who is bohemian, and Jim have an interesting love relationship. Antonia is not the average woman in the west and neither are the other women mentioned in My Antonia.
This more than successful piece of literature examines the profound effect which social pressures enact on an individual. Edna’s actions in,“The Awakening” created the notion that self-identity was a process which only the individual woman could determine for herself, over 100 years later, much of the bias and injustice between men and women persists. Edna’s sexual promiscuity was frowned upon by society. Meanwhile, men were known to have multiple lovers and be given no consequence, “Robert each summer at Grand Isle had constituted himself the devoted attendant of some fair dame or damsel.” This quote shows a double standard which stripped women of their right to find themselves.
From the moment you hear that opening line that says - Let us tell an old story anew and see how well you know it - you just feel that you are in for a real treat and believe me you will not be disappointed. OK this is a pretty radical re-imagining of the story of Sleeping Beauty in that we come at it from the viewpoint of the supposedly wicked fairy. Maleficent is a spell-binding performance of raw acting power from Angelina Jolie who is especially threatening when casting the sleeping spell.
More about Summary: The Feminine Mystique
Susan Oliver On Betty Friedan
294 Words | 2 PagesOutward Conformity In Kate Chopin's The Awakening
825 Words | 4 PagesBetty Friedan's The Importance Of Work By Betty Friedan
1088 Words | 5 PagesFirst Generations: Women In Colonial America
615 Words | 3 PagesConformity In The 1950's
1246 Words | 5 PagesGender Roles In Franney By J. D. Salinger's Franny
1492 Words | 6 PagesStory Of An Hour Rhetorical Analysis Essay
730 Words | 3 PagesBetty Friedan's The Importance Of Work
1454 Words | 6 PagesEdna's Roles In The Awakening
1386 Words | 6 PagesConformity In The Awakening
849 Words | 4 PagesRise Of Enlightened Sexism Analysis
485 Words | 2 PagesRhetorical Analysis Of Why I Want A Wife
557 Words | 3 PagesGender Roles In My Antonia
980 Words | 4 PagesSelf Identity In Kate Chopin's The Awakening
808 Words | 4 PagesMaleficant: The Perception Of Sleeping Beauty
524 Words | 3 Pages