The feminine mystique

The Book that Rescued Women

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Amazon Customer

March 4, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

In the Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan put a spotlight on the hidden, yet immense problems women faced during the 1950’s. Her work propelled the stagnant women’s rights movement into its second wave and helped women reclaim some equality. Despite focusing on the seemingly small problems of middle class white women, the legacy of the book has paved the way for more universal movements towards equality. Readers interested in the history of women’s rights and the progress that has been made should pick up a copy.

Friedan does a great job explaining the context of her writing to contemporary and modern readers. She makes a compelling case that the status of women initially improved during World War II, but then reverted as men returned from the fight. Her perspective is quite unique. As a magazine writer she’s able to show the changing opinion of society vocalized through the media. By counting the number of magazine articles that portray women as empowered individuals, Friedan is able to quantify this ideological shift.

In this context Friedan pointed out that something was wrong. She recognized that women lived in a tiny sphere of influence and led unfulfilling lives. She argued that “we can no longer ignore that voice within women that says: ‘I want something more than my husband and my children and my home’”. After the book’s release in 1963 it spent 6 weeks on the New York Time’s best seller list and sold 1.4 million copies. This goes to show how much her message resonated. The book also made me think about the experience of my grandparents in a new way.

While the book is progressive in one area, readers should beware of its regrettable comments about homosexuals, mental disease, and concentration camps. Friedan argues that house-wives smother their children with love, preventing them from growing up. This leads to promiscuity and homosexuality, which “is spreading like a murky smog over the American scene”. As well, she brazenly makes the comparison that women “are in as much danger as the millions who walked to their own death in the concentration camps”. This argument only made me contrast the relatively small plight of women with the immense inhumanity of the holocaust. Finally, she implies that schizophrenia and autism in children are the result of mothers over accommodating their kids. These passages are not worth reading.

Despite the book’s flaws and age, it’s still significant today. Women’s equality has advanced greatly in the last half century, yet they still face similar challenges. Jobs with the highest proportion of female workers are still nurses, school teachers, social workers and other traditional roles according to U.S. DOL 2010 figures. The arguments of the Feminist Mystique are still valid. Buy this book if you’d like to better understand how the role of women has evolved and continues to change.

11 people found this helpful

As important today as it was over 50 years ago

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EZimm

February 14, 2017

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I read it because two of our daughters are Women's Studies majors and I figured eventually they'll be reading this book as well, and it can give us something to talk about. Before reading, I first looked at this book as a "historical" perspective of the women's movement; how wrong I was. The information is vitally relevant even today. Women still do not have equality in the workplace and earn much less than their male colleagues. The Equal Rights Amendment never passed at the State level. While many doors have opened, we are still not equal and do not have legal protections for us in place. While this book opened up my 55-year-old eyes (at long last), I also gained a better understanding of my mother and my mother-in-law and why they are the ardent consumers they are. If my daughters don't have to read this book as required reading, I will make them read it!

9 people found this helpful

Do we still want to be housewives?

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Barbara Duehn

February 27, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

I had read this book when it first came out and it was interesting to compare my earlier thoughts with this 50 year edition. It is amazing how much of it is relevant today. The problem which had no name became the feminine mystique. Why are so many housewives unhappy? Their goal was to marry well, have children and live in a nice house in the suburbs but having achieved that they realized that their identity was only as wife and mother. The book offers ways to change.

8 people found this helpful

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January 23, 2015

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

As someone who was raised in a family and subculture that was extremely conservative and idealized the concept of the perfect 1950's housewife and family, all I can say is that this book changed my life. Whether or not you come from a similar background, this is a very interesting read that will help you understand where we've come from as a society and maybe formulate some thoughts about what we still need to fix with regards to women in this country. If you're a fan of the show Mad Men: Betty Draper is the personification of the feminine mystique.

This edition is very nice as well! I gave it as a gift to someone because I have a tattered, marked up copy from the original printing, but one of these I'm going to have to update my own copy and will be buying this edition.

5 people found this helpful

Good reading, whether you're a male OR female. Still relevant today in my opinion.

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Josef Erik

September 16, 2017

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

A well informed, well read friend suggested this book to me. I've been skimming through it, but haven't read the entire thing yet. It's a hefty book, pretty thick, but from what I've read thus far, I'm looking forward to reading the rest. I don't think the subject of feminism is something that is limited to any one gender. The book is dated, yes, but the subject matter is just as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. It's a nice book, and it arrived promptly and in good condition. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the subject matter. It seems to me to be one of the more relevant books on this subject.

One person found this helpful

Blaming a mythical boogyman and blaming all your problems on it is timeless victim mentality... nothing new here!

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