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Analysis Of Betty Friedan's The Feminine Mystique

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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

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