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The Feminine Mystique Analysis

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In Betty Friedan’s novel, The Feminine Mystique, she addresses a problem deeply buried within women up until the beginning of the twenty-first century. A problem with no name, that makes women feel desolate and purposeless, forcing them to ask themselves “is this all?” Norma Jean toils with this very same question in Shiloh, a realistic fiction short story by Bobbie Ann Mason. The marriage of Norma Jean and her devoted, yet inactive husband Leroy falls to shambles when he is injured from work and has to remain home. They wander aimlessly around each other, much like ghosts, withholding their need to confide in one another, which inevitably leads to the end of their marriage. As Norma Jean redefines gender roles in her household, she feels …show more content…

Leroy is determined to build her a house-a real home- and even has blueprints completed but despite his motivation, Norma is unhappy with the thought of a log cabin. As Leroy says “I am going to build you a house, I want to make you a real home,” Norma passes it off by saying “I don’t want to live in any log cabin” (Mason 4). His dream and her rejection are symbolic of their discontent relationship. His idea of a home is with her, but for Norma, it is not. The concept of “his dream” does not fill the void in her chest longing for a change. Another perspective is that Leroy’s inability to accept Norma’s adaptations leads to her pulling away from him. On page six Norma is speaking with Leroy about her new college English class and her papers. He cannot comprehend the need for this higher education because “driving a rig, nobody criticized his english.” Although this instance is almost insignificant to most, it shows their different views of life as well as them being out of tune with what each other’s desires. After Leroy almost mocks her attempt for a better education she dismisses the importance of it by simply calling it “just something to do” and leaves the table, once again disappointed in the way the conversation played

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Sonia saw the Norma with heavy eyelids, four children, and tracks on her legs and arms. The genius, the linguist, the brain, all the things Sonia used to think of Norma as was no longer there. Norma was Sonia’s role model but because of her poor decisions she had let her down. She hoped that Norma’s children would be different and not become like Norma. All throughout Sonia's school life she had expected Norma to become superior in academics, but to know the fact that she went to college while Norma had more kids and did drugs would have changed Sonia's idea of who Norma

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The two women, who are currently living alone, represent two different single lifestyles. Mr.Torso, who is a beautiful blonde dancer, is constantly surrounded by men. In contrast, Ms.Lonelyhearts does not have any male admirers; thus, she is very depressed and is often crying or drinking. Ms.Lonelyhearts is only able to get out of her depression once she meets a potential lover, the man across the street. Since the 50s was such a male-centric society, one can’t blame Mr.Torso for basing her self worth on a lack of a relationship.

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Bobbie Ann Mason’s short story Shiloh is a story explaining the events leading up to a husband and wife’s marriage coming to an end. This couple rushed into marriage because they had a baby on the way, but four months after the baby was born it died of sudden infant death syndrome. In this story Norma Jean ,the wife, is the breadwinner of the family while her husband Leroy stays at home because of an injury he sustained at work. Both Leroy and Norma Jean fail to confront the issues they are having, and because of this, the bond between them grows weaker the longer they are together. Their marriage is bound to end at some point.

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When Leroy and Norma Jean were finally convinced to travel to Shiloh, Tennessee, Leroy comes to the conclusion that the battlefield and graveyard of Shiloh relate to the death of his and Norma Jean's marriage. Shiloh represents the emptiness of their marriage, the graveyard indicating the end of their marriage and the log cabin emphasizing the emptiness within their marriage. Lack of communication within their marriage is a strong indicator and the seriousness of the ending of their marriage. While visiting Shiloh, Mason writes how Norma Jean wants the marriage to end, "I want to leave you," (Mays, 370). Leroy came to the realization that his marriage was not what he thought it to

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The reader can gather from this short story that Leroy is a bit behind on noticing the events that occur around him. As the story goes on his awareness of his wife’s habits and their failing marriage increases until Norma Jean finally confronts him. Leroy is also unaware about other aspects of his life, for example when talking about building a cabin he mentions his current house and how he realizes: “It does not even feel like a home, Leroy realizes now” (Mason 219). Norma Jean also mentions to Leroy that he would not be able to build a cabin in any of the subdivisions which Leroy either did not consider or was not aware about entirely. When Leroy suggests that perhaps his increased presence at home upsets his wife he relates the cause to memories of his infant who had died earlier on in their marriage.

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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

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Leroy compares her to Wonder Woman while watching her lift weights, expressing his admiration and love for his wife (759). While Leroy claims to love Norma Jean, he only loves her in a superficial sense, only praising her appearance and the things she provides him with such as her terrific piano-playing. After playing with his miniature model kits, Leroy fantasizes about indulging Norma Jean with a log cabin. He incessantly tells her how much joy it would bring him to build her a “‘real home’” and is met with her

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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.

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Louise and Delia What do most women want in a marriage? Is it hatred and an unfaithful husband? No! Women expect to have a husband who loves and cares for them.

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In My Antonia, Willa Cather pens a nostalgic story focused on a two people with a unique connection. Jim Burden narrates the story of Antonia Shimerda, the girl next door who happens to be a Bohemian emigrant. Jim moves to his grandparents’ house after his parents die; Antonia arrives in the United States with her family and little else. The two are vastly different, but bond quickly on the Nebraska prairie. Most people who study the novel acknowledge the obvious impact that Antonia has on Jim and see Antonia as “in one way or another, the center of the novel” (Lucenti).

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The instability of the stereotypical gender roles in the household, music that Norma Jean drifts away from, and log cabin all play significant roles in symbolizing the inevitable end of their marriage. Leroy and Norma Jean appear to swap the conventional gender roles in the story, and this troubles their marriage. Leroy sits at home all day like a bored housewife, and takes on hobbies that are considered to be traditionally feminine. While Norma jean assumes the role of the sole breadwinner and engages in hobbies like body building, Leroy makes crafts from kits and sews needlepoint

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Being in an unhealthy relationship is something women nowadays are not obligated to put up with. If they ever feel that their husband is not treating them good; they have the right to ask for a divorce. Otherwise, they could end up with mental problems or death. Back in the nineteenth century, divorce was not an option for women. Females were forced to stay with their husband whether they were treated right or not.

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It was a strange stirring, a sense of dissatisfaction, a yearning that women suffered in the middle of the twentieth century in the United States. Each suburban struggled with it alone. As she made

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I stayed faithful to characterization and departed from the tone of the short story. Within my adaptation, I stayed loyal to Norma’s character throughout scene six. Norma pushes the button and we see her true colors. Matheson portrays Norma as greedy and narcissistic.

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