Saturday, January 27, 2018

The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedman


I can see why this book sparked such a movement in it's time. And although most of the content of this book is irrelevant in today's world we can still relate it to other things that are still a problem today that still attempt to shape women in a certain stereotype(s). Housewives of today no longer have the problem of just simply being a housewife and having to settle for that. If you want to learn how to play the violin then go out and buy a violin and learn how to play it. I f you want to go out and work to assist your husband with the finances, then go out and do it! There is nothing stopping women from doing these sorts of things on top of being housewives. We no longer feel the stigma that there's something wrong with us or that we have failed in some way if we feel the need to branch out into other interests. 
The author relates a lot of her information as a sort of piggyback on to work that was already researched and written by both Freud and Kinsey. She states that several times when doing her interviews her interviewees steer the conversation to some sort of sexual frustration and/or empowerment. As the author states "Sex is the only Frontier open to women who have always lived within the confines of the Feminine Mystique." I found it fascinating that so many women revert back to sex in so many different subjects/aspects.
Although this book was written for women in the 40s 50s and 60s, it is still eye-opening to read today. Even though most of it reads as a dull textbook there is still some very good information within it that can be translated to today's feminine issues. I also agree that this is a part of our history such as the Malleus Maleficarum and Mein Kampf and should continue to be read, discussed and studied as a historical text.

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My May 2018 TBR Stack

My May 2018 TBR Stack

Check Out These #LitsyHappenings

Check Out These #LitsyHappenings