Abstract Expressionism was born in 1940’s New York when small group of loosely affiliated artists begin to create a body of work which varied in style, technique, and quality of expression. This stylistically diverse collection introduced radical new directions in art and completely shifted the art world’s focus. Although the works vary greatly, they do share several broad characteristics including the fact that they are based off non-representational forms, they emphasize spontaneous personal emotional expression, and they are all explorations into utilizing the physical characteristics of paint to evoke expressive qualities. Although female artists were among the group who pioneered the new artistic movement, they were left out of the narrative. …show more content…
This ideology is examined within Betty Friedan's novel; The Feminine Mystique. In the years of the war, there was actually a push towards equality. When male enlistment left substantial holes in the labor force, women were encouraged to fill those positions, manufacturing ships, planes, and other wartime necessities. This is when the Rosie the Riveter poster gained popularity with the famous slogan “We can do it!” Unfortunately, this pathology that encouraged women to leave the house for a physical job was only temporary. After the war, American society was in a state of shock. The past few years had left citizens feeling vulnerable, lonely, homesick, and frightened. But then, soldiers came home and both women and men had an increased longing for the comforting reality of a home and children. All of a sudden their was an increased pressure for women to fulfil the role of the “housewife,” whether they wanted to or not. America’s postwar economy flourished, which subsequently allowed for only one parent, almost always the man, to be the breadwinner, and for families to have and support greater numbers of children—which aided in the definition of gender roles. Magazines, advertisements, and other forms of pop culture reinforced this belief that the only goal a woman should have is that of pursuing a man and that the only work a woman
I agree that Betty Friedan was right to write that the suburban home was a ‘comfortable concentration camp’ where women ‘suffered a slow death of mind and spirit’ for the following reasons:
An Intersectional Analysis of “The Feminine Mystique” When it was first published in 1963, Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique was very popular among women in the 1960s, and the ideas presented in the book were extremely influential to second wave, liberal feminism. In The Feminine Mystique, Friedan discusses what she believes to be the myth of the happy, suburban housewife. She also addresses the societal pressure for women to be feminine above all else, and gives examples as to why this pressure is harmful. She highlights the ways in which women are taught by society that being a wife and mother will make them happier than having a career. When educated women give up careers and other ambitions to become a stay-at-home mother, many find
“Temporarily at least, the war caused a greater change in women's economic status and outlook than a prior half century of reform and rhetoric had been able to achieve.” ”The Federal government encouraged housewives to join the workforce as a patriotic duty.” Once they needed the women to work for America,it was promoted through various forms of propaganda that taking on the male's role was the best thing to do. “Immediately after the war, the percentage of women who worked fell as factories converted to peacetime production and refused to rehire women.” It was expected that the women were going to keep their jobs, even when their men had come home, but instead the women were fired in order for men to be hired.
Before World War II, women were expected to get married, raise kids, do housework, and obey their husbands. This all changed when World War II came around. The men were busy at war, so someone had to take over their jobs. The government considered having children across the country fill in, but society chose the women to do it instead. The government depicted work only as a necessity, only temporarily, not as a way to change a women’s rights or freedom.
In her Feminine Mystique essay, “The Importance of Work”, writer Betty Friedan talks about how the identity crisis of American women beginning about a century ago. More and more of the work that was used by human abilities in which they could find self-realization that was taken from women. The identity crisis for women did not begin in America until the fire, strength, and ability of the pioneer women were no longer needed. Women today whom feel that they have no goal, purpose, or future will commit suicide. Betty Friedan attempts to explain the causes of women’s unhappiness as she tags it, “the problem that has no name”. (Friedan, pg.790, 1963) Friedan’s rhetoric in the essay is constructed and based upon three persuasive techniques, which are known as ethos, pathos, and logos. In her essay, her main goal was to bring about how successful her approach in determining the role of women in society. She did an excellent job at defending her argument with facts from history to back it up.
As the economy expanded, more jobs were created and offered to women, particularly in the service sector. In turn, many women were struggling to maintain their roles as dutiful wives and mothers in their suburban communities while continuing to work. During the Second World War, women only composed about 25 percent of the workforce. In the post-war era, that percentage started to rise steadily. As more women were beginning to enter the workforce, it was becoming increasingly difficult for them to balance their careers and their more traditional roles at home as the caregivers. A woman’s primary role was deemed to be taking care of the household, instead of a career-driven individual. However, women during this time felt trapped by their suburban lifestyles and craved for more fulfilling lives outside of their homes. The dissatisfaction they felt eventually started to build up into a rebirth of the feminist movement in the 1960s. One significant contribution within this movement was the 1963 book The Feminine Mystique, written by women’s rights advocate Betty Friedan. In her book, she argued that the suburbs were “burying women
“The Importance of Work” is an essay from The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan. The whole essay talks about how humans can contribute to the society with their full capacities through work and that women should hold jobs equivalent to men. Friedan insists that men and women need work that satisfies their creativity and contributes to human society. Today, doing paid work is a necessity because it helps us get through the day wether for our needs or our pleasures. The money earned from work supports the whole family. According to Mrs. Olive Schreiner, “if women did not win back their right to a full share of honored and useful work, women’s mind and muscle would weaken in a parasitic state; her offspring, male and female would weaken progressively, and civilization itself would deteriorate.” (Friedan 8) I strongly agree with this statement. I believe that the work ethic of most generations are influenced by parents. It is obvious that we look up to our parents. If the parents do not show any desire to work, their children will copy them and will not contribute to society. If a mother who is a stay-at-home mother or has a different job does not work hard or does not show any work ethic, her children will look up to her and follow her footsteps and eventually “civilization would deteriorate.” (Friedan 8)
Before World War II, women were the ones customarily responsible for taking care of their houses and children. Typically, they were not allowed to pursue their dreams of having a career in the field of their choosing. It wasn’t until the start of World War II that women were allowed to venture outside of their homes and housekeeping tasks to explore a whole new world of opportunities created by wartime efforts. Women were needed to fill the voids left by the departure of the 690,000,000 men from 61 countries that were headed to war. With American men enlisting in the war effort, the work force quickly diminished allowing women to fill positions . The factory gates welcomed a flood of women willing to work and serve their country. Mothers, daughters, wives and even schoolgirls picked up the duties the men had left behind. Government sources continued to recruit women throughout the war, with articles and advertisements placed in magazines to get women 's attention. Slogans such as, “Women, you would hasten victory by working and save your man,". The Magazine War Guide recommended that all published magazines participate in the”Women at Work” cover promotion to emphasize not only defense and factory work, but all kinds of employment opportunities for women. One of the many slogans shouted, "The more women at work, the sooner we win." (American Women and the U.S. Armed Forces). The
The Feminine Mystique is the title of a book written by the late Betty Friedan
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 broke new ground by seeking the idea of women discovering personal fulfillment away from their original roles. She ponders on the idea of the Feminine Mystique as the cause for the majority of women during that time period to feel confined by their occupations around the house, 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.
While fighting for civil rights in organizations such as the SNCC, women found themselves stuck in jobs that focused on typing, cooking, and cleaning for the male members.2 The irony of fighting for rights for people, while not getting any themselves really infuriated women, thus igniting the fuse of the feminist movement bomb. The most prominent event that blew up the feminist revolution bomb of the sixties was the publication of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique. Friedan’s book discussed how the happy image of the 1950s American housewife was a sham and how suburban life was just a “comfortable concentration camp”3 for women.
In the book The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan brings attention to what she calls the feminine mystique, or “the problem that has no name”. Through the use of anecdotal narratives, her own personal experiences as a journalist, editor, mother, and the interviews of many women from different backgrounds in order to unveil the truth about the women of the 1950’s. The problem which sparked the second wave of feminism in the United States is one that focuses on the inequality between men and women and the undervaluing of women in both the social and private spheres. The women of the time gave up pursuing their passions, such as getting an education or careers in science or business in order to fit the image of the stereotypical stay-at-home mom whose main goal in life is to raise her children while providing a safe and comforting home for her husband. The Feminine Mystique, as she called it, was the idea of widespread unhappiness of women, despite the preconceived notion that women were happiest when they have a family. Throughout her work, she dives into many of the problems associated with the feminine mystique and builds a powerful concept of what would eventually be labeled feminism.
In The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan presents several arguments that dealt with the issues of personal engagement and equality that women of the time faced, calling it, “the problem that has no name.” Friedan describes an ideal that middle-class women of the 1960s were held to. She highlights that women were “chained” to kitchens and their spouses and children, while their dreams of careers and college degrees were suppressed. These women had goals and dreams, and they wanted more, but as Friedan describes, it was nearly impossible to break through the “feminine mystique.” Friedan argues that the stereotypes, occupations, and marriages that the women held caused the feminine mystique, however, she misses important structural issues, such
Art has evolved and regenerated itself many times during our human existence. These differences are defined through changes in styles under various theories. During the nineteenth and early twentieth century, a style known as Expressionism became popular. During this movement the artists were trying to use their artwork as a tool of expression toward life. It was mainly dominant in the nonrepresentational arts, such as abstract visual arts and music. It also was probably one of the most difficult movements to understand because the whole point of the piece lay within the artist. Not only was it a movement, it defined the act of art as a whole. From the beginning of time, each work of art, excluding replicas, show a way of expressing
Throughout the ages, women have aided in the achievement of greatness of their brothers, sons, fathers and husbands. However, there are moments in history where this aid is more than a hand to hold. The distinction must be made that the Rosie the Riveter Movement did not take place for the same reasons as women’s suffrage. Thus, there is a difference between the concepts of Feminism and Patriotism. It is true that in some ways when the war ended women who worked had earned a more equal relationship with men in the workplace, however this was not the purpose of ‘Rosie the Riveter’. If one requires an example of a feminist movement, the events that took place in the 1960s and 1920s should suffice. Women assumed the roles of men during the war, and did so out of the responsibility to their country. This is the precise reason why World War II was the greatest moment in history for American women. The movement was not one of suffrage or equality; it was a demonstration of innate strength, endurance, and especially patriotism. Despite the odds, and all those who doubted them, women exercised their patriotism for their country. This is evident in the valor that many unrecognized women displayed in the United States’ Armed Forces, and on the Homefront. Neither gender, nor sexuality held any responsibility for their simple, yet heroic actions.