Betty Fried The Role Of Women's Role In Women

First, during this time frame, the normal 50s family would be a hard-working father who supported the household while the mother took care of home economics, such as cleaning, cooking, and taking care of the family. Friedan personally felt women were being cheated from their true potential and purpose. Although her statement was a bit exaggerated, it was for that reason the book was a success or failure to some. Either way, more than 2 million copies were sold and she was able to pass the concept of new feminism.

Betty Friedan, who lived from 1921-2006, constructed her activism through her writing. She wrote for trade unions and magazines, and later, at the age of 42, published her best known work The Feminine Mystique. This book stirred up a following among urban, white, middle-class American women who felt that their male counterparts

However, before they began to labor for activism, there was a time when they decided to devote their lives to feminism. Only one moment was needed to change Anthony’s career and the world. When at a temperance meeting, Anthony rose to speak but was told she was not allowed to, solely because she was a woman. Due to this injustice, she decided to begin petitioning for women’s rights, as well as temperance and abolition, which she also labored for. Similarly, Friedan had a direct cause to begin feminism, but unlike Anthony, it was a period of several years that inspired her. For a long time, Friedan was a housewife, with three children in the suburbs. These years, torturous for Friedan, showed her how women were expected to give up their careers in favor of cleaning house, and worse, were expected to be happy not bored, sewing and vacuuming all day. In fact, Friedan herself had been a journalist, but she was fired for asking for maternal leave- fired for being a woman. Likewise, Anthony was fired from her job as a teacher, in part because she complained about the fact that she made five times less than men in the same position- again, fired for her sex. Another similarity between the paths of these women was that neither was respected at first. Anthony was a laughingstock for wearing the “Bloomer outfit”, pants that rolled at the calves, and after Friedan wrote her bestselling book on

She was a well known American author and activist who believed in the movement for female empowerment. She was a feminist and believed in women equality in the workforce. On top of that, she was a loving mother to her children and a wife. All these traits describe Betty Friedan. Betty Friedan is one of the few voices , starting around the 60’s, who stood up for women’s rights. In the article , “Betty Friedan” by Mario Kaplan from the Jewish Women’s Archive website,it states, “[c]onsidered by many as the “mother” of the second wave of modern feminism, activist and writer Betty Friedan was one of the most influential feminist leaders of the 20th century”.

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.

Women were growing tired of playing the traditional roles that were expected of them, especially after experiencing an independent life outside of domesticity during the wartime period. Feminist writer Betty Friedan participated in the movement by publishing The Feminine Mystique in 1963 in which she “contested the post-World War II belief that it was women’s destiny to marry and bear children. Friedan’s book was a bestseller and began to raise the consciousness of many women who agreed that homemaking in the suburbs sapped them of their individualism and left them unsatisfied” (889-890). Their efforts to participate in the protest movements came with a lot of difficulty as many women experienced sexual harassment and gender discrimination, causing them to later turned to the feminist movement in the 1970s. Members of the feminist movement were focused on contributing to their cause through the achievement of important accomplishments:

The Feminine Mystique is the title of a book written by the late Betty Friedan

The fight against sexism is not a new fight. Women have been fighting for equal rights, as well as fighting for their lives, culture, and values to be just as important as men's. On August 18, 1920, women were granted the right to vote; but this was only the beginning. From then to now, the role of women in society has significantly changed due to women standing up for their rights at protests and rallies, as well as on social media. While “The Good Wife’s Guide” focused on the promotion of the traditional gender role of women and defined appropriate emotions for women, “The Revolt of ‘Mother,’” by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, represents the start of the resistance of the traditional gender role of women that we see in society today.

Many people take for granted the women's rights they are able to have today, they don’t think about the people who put all the time and the effort to get them these rights. Women were not seen as people who could be successful in the business world all they were seen as were people who would watch over the house and take care of the kids. Even if a women went to college and graduated with a great degree it was still impossible to get a job. One of the people who tried very hard to change this image for women is Betty Friedan. Betty was different from most feminists so many people did not like her that much. She was a writer that wrote a few well known books about feminism these

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.

The journey in advocating for the equality and justice for women has left a tremendous impact in history. Women demonstrate their endless fight to be at the same level as men. From being allowed to receive an education, suffrage, to earning the same wages in the workplace as men. We recognize and honor one of the leading feminist of the 20 century. Betty Friedan is an inspiring activist whose actions have made equality for women a reality. Without her dedication in the movement, young girls may not have benefited from opportunities offered to them today. We often times neglect to remember important key figures that have strived for the better of our nation.

Betty Friedan believed that women should feel and be treated equal to men. Friedan fought for women to embody their power and worth. She was an activist for the women’s rights movement and a founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW). Her book, The Feminine Mystique, connected with her readers by illustrating the standards that women were put under for decades. In the 60’s, women were viewed as nothing but maids and child-bearers. Many women were hesitant to take a stand for this taboo subject; their own rights. Friedan took initiative when everyone else was afraid to. Betty Friedan’s contribution clearly advanced the progression of women’s equality. She accomplished this by writing her famous book, giving a debatable speech, and founding the National Organization for Women.

From her book The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan explores “the problem that has no name”. Women at this time were expected to find fulfilment in their roles as a wife, a mother, and a housekeeper. Wanting to do masculine things will, somehow, not only rob a woman of her femininity but also make her undesirable and immoral (Friedan, 1582). Friedan conducted a study focusing on women in the 1920s and 1930s who exercised their independence. She noticed how the women of the 1950s were far from such self-determination and instead facing an identity crisis and were feeling incapable and worthless (Friedan, 1584). There was deep dissatisfaction common to all housewives but it was talked about by no one for fear of being perceived as an undignified woman (Friedan, 1583). Ingrained in people’s minds was the “feminine mystique”, a mysterious, intangible quality that all women have (they were told); and once women entered their mystique, they would reach their fulfillment. This was the belief that women should want to achieve femininity as a wife, a

Betty Friedan supports abortion on demand. She believes that mother’s should have the liberty of choice. Mother’s ought to have the rights to creativity beyond being a mother. This creativity involves pursuing a career in different occupations and to reject the prejudices about being feminine. Friedan insists on a woman’s right to choose whether to have a child or not. She thinks that motherhood will be accepted joyfully and as a great experience in life, if the choice was freely chosen. The conflicts of being a mother will not exist once women are the masters of their own faith and the captain of their souls: “I am saying that motherhood will only be a joyous and responsible human act when women are free to make, with full conscious choice and full human responsibility, the decisions to

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan is related to the second wave of feminism. Betty Friedan wrote about “The Problem that has no Name.” Throughout the next few pages the analysis will be on The Feminine Mystique with particular attention on “The Problem that has no Name.” In the 1960s it was uncommon for the women of the time to hold a job and raise a family. Betty Friedan worked until she was pregnant, which she was fired for, and then continued to write freelance for journals and newspapers after she had her children. She wanted to have a job and raise a family. She wanted the best of both worlds. The other part of Betty Friedan that is remarkably admirable is her view on beauty standards. She was not all that pleased that women and men had to look a certain way. How has “The Problem that has no Name” and The Feminine Mystique changed the outlook on women’s problems, how has society dealt with these problems, and how women were able to write about such problems that women face? These are the main concerns that will be addressed throughout the next few pages. By looking at the book and Betty Friedan’s life, but, also looking at other sources from the 1960s we can see how life was for women both on the home-front and the outside world.