Cousin Maude's Visit

After World War II, the nation was blooming. Everything was growing, people were going to college, and wealth grew. The idea of the perfect American life was developed, this included a husband that worked and a wife that stayed home and took care of the house and children. To look at how women are affected by this perfect life I am analyzing “Governor Adlai Stevenson Tells College Women about Their Place in Life, 1955” and “Good Housekeeping: Every Executive Needs a Perfect Wife, 1956”.

In this satirical article, Brady expresses the difference between the roles of women and men in the 1970’s by stating men’s point of view on women and women’s roles in society. Throughout her article, Brady emphasizes the roles of women. For example, women could now “work and...takes care of the children when they are sick”. Comparing the 1880’s to the 1970’s, there has been a big improvement. Many women had jobs outside their home, but still were responsible for most housework and childcare while their husband’s only responsibility in a marriage was to go to work and earn money to support the family. Society’s expectations allowed women to work outside the home to support college education for husbands; however,women had to know how to balance their time between their children and their jobs, making sure that their husbands “cannot miss classes at school.” During the 1970’s, women were still oppressed in many ways and had to follow society's expectations in order to live up to the men’s view of women’s roles in society. Even though society’s expectations of women had improved since The Awakening, most of women’s roles had stayed the same. In the article, Brady specifies how once a husband is “through with school and has a job, [he expects the] wife to quit working and remain at home so that [she] can more fully and completely take

In 1950’s society, both women and men had their place. Although men may have more opportunities and differentiation than women, they both still have their places. Generally, a woman’s literal place is in the household, often the kitchen to be more exact. The typical housewife wears a conservative dress, heels, pearls, and possibly an apron depending on whether they are “on duty” or not. This standard lifestyle of women is portrayed well through Gidget’s mother. Gidget, however, does not seem to want to follow in the footsteps of her mother in this jail cell of a stereotypical matriarchal role. Instead of wiping cake batter off her fingers, Gidget would rather wipe sand off her feet after a long day of surfing. While

Before there were women like Oprah Winfrey or Ellen DeGeneres, there was a Lucille Ball. A woman running her own television show, production network, while also maintaining the role as a mother and a wife. Lucille was one of the influential women of her time, impacting society anywhere from interracial dating and marriages, her television show and her pregnancy and what it represented. Lucille Ball paved the road for a woman following a career in comedy, expanding acceptance for women's priorities to not always be that of her physical appearance, and the betterment of her husband and children's lives. In the 1950’s a woman who focused on her own career advancement and self-betterment was often considered selfish and self-centered, and Lucille Ball was one of the women to prove that stereotype wrong. With so little women at the time in the workplace and drastically fewer women with upper-level positions, Lucille Ball stands out.

Friedan, however, was no ordinary housewife. Before starting her family, she had worked as a newspaper reporter; even after her children came, she wrote regularly for the major women 's magazines. By 1957 she was fed up with the endless stories about breast-feeding, the preparation of gourmet chip dips, and similar domestic fare that was the staple of ‘Redbook‘, ‘McCall 's‘, and ‘Ladies ' Home Journal‘. She had noticed many women like herself who worked outside the home and felt guilty because their jobs threatened their husbands ' roles as providers or took time away from their children. Thus Friedan began to wonder not only about herself as a woman, a wife, and a mother, but also about the role society had shaped women to play.

The mass media in America after the war began to show the new image of what a woman should be. Women were shown smiling and joyful in their “feminineness.” This idea of feminineness was shown through “the joys of motherhood, wifely devotion, and obsessive shopping” (Jackson, 204). As Betty Friedan describes this time period, women were expected to manage the household, raise their children, and care for their husband. Friedan’s own interviews and surveys would tell that most suburban housewives living a comfortable life were unhappy.

When Brady classifies herself as “a wife and mother” she is automatically labeled with the responsibilities that were enforced by societal beliefs of that era (Brady 229). Women were considered inferior to men and struggled to gain equality. Husband's required too much of their wives as to their physical needs; “I want a wife to keep my house clean.” Their social needs, “When I meet people at school that I like and want to entertain, I want a wife who will have the house clean, will prepare a special meal, serve it to me and my friends, and not interrupt when I talk about things that interest me and my friends.” In addition, their sexual needs, “I want a wife who is sensitive to my sexual needs, a wife who makes love passionately and eagerly when I feel like it, a wife who makes sure that I am satisfied.” (Brady 229-230). Women did all these things everyday to please their husbands, although they received no fringe benefit in return. The cultural values that were viewed at this time emphasized the discrimination and equality that Brady desperately wants her audience to

A scene that should have been included in the movie version of to Kill a Mockingbird is the scene in which Ms. Maudie’s house catches on fire. In this scene, Scout and Jem wake up to see that Ms. Maudie’s house had caught on fire, with fire trucks roaring and neighbors helping out one another. In this time of ruckus, a blanket was draped over the shivering Scout, by the unbeknownst Boo Radley. The reason why this scene is so important to the movie is that you are introduced to Boo Radley and you also get a better idea of Ms. Maudie’s character and her reactions to tough situations. Prior to the fire, the children had no idea of who Boo Radley was, only what they heard from other people in their small-knit town of Maycomb County.

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 1950’s it was believed that creating a home and having children were one of the most important goals for women. Most women would attend college but not to earn a degree but to find a husband and get married. Women started working again at this time but they did not get equal benefits or pay as men did. Women were also hired at jobs that were more tailored to their looks then their skills. Women were encouraged to have large families but needed help when it came to actually managing the household.

A woman who prepares not symbolize the insight of the perfect wife and mother, mainly in the 1950s-60s, would

Edith made the point that Stoner “had so little time to devote to her (Grace). His work, you know…” (Williams 124). Edith pinned the blame for how their daughter’s sudden changes. While the truth was that Stoner sacrificed his time with his daughter because “when he did (speak to her), and Grace answered him, Edith soon found something wanting in Grace’s table manners, or in the way she sat in her chair…”

In addition, Great Uncle Lewis got kicked out of the house. Grandma Evelyn

What do Betty from "Pleasantville," June from "Leave it to Beaver," and Donna Reed from "The Donna Reed Show" all have in common? They all represent the image of the perfect housewife in the 1950s. They represent women who gladly cooked, cleaned, dressed in pearls and wore high heals while waiting for their all-knowing husbands to come home. They represent women who can only find fulfillment in male domination and nurturing maternal love. Tillie Olsen, as a single mother with four children (204), provides readers with another view of women. Through the representation of the narrator in I Stand Here Ironing, Olsen contradicts the image of the 50s ideal woman, a happy housewife and a perfect mother.

In the 1960s to 1970s, a feminist movement began and sparked a change in attitudes towards women in familial roles and pushed against gender inequality. This movement’s effects trickled down to the opinions and actions of people in the later 1970s to mid-1980s. The period saw a decline in the backing of the traditional family wife role for women and greater acceptance for women finding employment (Mason, K.O., Lu, Y., 1988). However, the change also encountered backlash, with the growth of employed mothers came concerns of the negative effects on the children and their relationship with the mother (Mason, K.O., Lu, Y., 1988). This triggered an inconsistent time for family structure. The nineties saw