COVE

Pictured is the cover page of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, a book that embodies feminism and the spirit of women. The book critiques the societal expectations imposed on women. Friedan's call to action ignited the second-wave feminist movement, inspiring women to challenge gender norms, pursue education and careers, and assert their equality. The Feminine Mystique remains a powerful work of literature for women's liberation and social change. 

Womenhistory.org states, “Her 1963 best-selling book, The Feminine Mystique, gave voice to millions of American women’s frustrations with their limited gender roles and helped spark widespread public activism for gender equality.” The impact that the book was able to achieve is a treaty to women and how they can change America, how they can ignite a fire that needs to be ignited, and bring justice to women across the nation. Even if they are pushed aside and their needs are being questioned by individuals alike, they are still able to show their strength and resilience and break those boundaries placed upon them.

“Beyond the Feminine Mystique: A Reassessment of Postwar Mass Culture, 1946-1958” by Joanne Meyerowitz states, “Hundreds of women has testified that the book changed their lives, and historical accounts often credit it with launching the recent feminist movement.” The mere fact that this book, written by a woman, for women, was able to change a multitude of women and sparked a movement, is a testimony to what women can achieve, as well as their strength.

A notable quote from The Feminine Mystique is, “The feminist revolution had to be fought because women quite simply were stopped at a state of evolution far short of their human capacity.” Women were not allowed to evolve or progress to their fullest extent as individuals because they were confined to traditional gender roles and denied equal opportunities in various spheres of life. The feminist revolution was necessary to challenge these constraints and enable women to achieve their full human capacity.

Works cited

"The Feminine Mystique." Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Apr. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Feminine_Mystique. Accessed 4 May 2024.

Friedan, Betty. The Feminine Mystique. Penguin Classics, 2010.

Meyerowitz, Joanne. “Beyond the Feminine Mystique: A Reassessment of Postwar Mass Culture, 1946- 1958.” The Journal of American History, vol. 79, no. 4, 1993, pp. 1455–82. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/2080212. Accessed 4 May 2024.

Michals, Debra. “Betty Friedan.” National Women’s History Museum, 2017. Date accessed. Accessed 4 May 2024.