There is a fable in antiquity about seven blind men who approach an elephant to attempt to discover what an elephant is. Each man touches a different part of the elephant (the trunk, the leg, etc) and comes up with their own conclusion of what an elephant is (a snake, a tree, respectively), and while neither conclusion is inherently wrong, only by combining all their knowledge can a true conclusion be reached. Elaine Tyler May and Joanna Meyerowitz are no exception to this parable, as while neither of the two writers is incorrect, the best way to truly understand what exactly the time period post-WWII is to examine the merits of both. I argue that there are strengths to each paper, just as there are weaknesses, and I am critically evaluating
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Joanne Meyerwitz writes as a critic of the The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan, in her writings titled Beyond the Feminine Mystique. Meyerwitz mentions that while The Feminine Mystique is important for bringing about feminism out of the nuclear family, the sources that Friedan uses to provide evidence of her claims are not nearly as convincing as one would think. Meyerwitz believes that Friedan, and as such many historians who followed her example, puts too much emphasis on “her version of the dominant ideology, the conservative promotion of domesticity” (Meyerwitz, 230). Just as some advertisements had provided a push for women to return to their homes, many others pushed for women to take a more assertive role in their lives. Meyerwitz even quotes an article that told women “Don 't fear being aggressive” while at the same time quoting another article that told women that aggressive traits “handicaps... in attracting a husband” (Meyerwitz, …show more content…
May 's writings reads more like a history archive whereas Meyerwitz appears as a critique and history of Post-WWII feminism. However, I argue that these two sources are both incredibly important in understanding what was occurring in the “sphere of containment”, as May put it. Both articles mention how women of color and white women had very different media exposures and experiences outside of the home. Meyerwitz wrote how the Ebony and Negro Digest empowered black women by showing more risque advertisements to show the beauty of black women. May, too, did not neglect black women when speaking on how domesticity meant “freedom and independence in her own home” (May, 27). Both articles paint a strong picture of what the post-WWII culture for women looked like, as both May and Meyerwitz brought up how this was not a forced, nor complete transition of all American women into domesticity. May speaks of how the process of attempted containment went about, with Meyerwitz critiquing just how potent this containment really was. To that end, I would argue that May argued a stronger narrative to the general public, while Meyerwitz argued a stronger narrative to those with an interest in
Joanne Meyerwitz writes as a critic of the The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan, in her writings titled Beyond the Feminine Mystique. Meyerwitz mentions that while The Feminine Mystique is important for bringing about feminism out of the nuclear family, the sources that Friedan uses to provide evidence of her claims are not nearly as convincing as one would think. Meyerwitz believes that Friedan, and as such many historians who followed her example, puts too much emphasis on “her version of the dominant ideology, the conservative promotion of domesticity” (Meyerwitz, 230). Just as some advertisements had provided a push for women to return to their homes, many others pushed for women to take a more assertive role in their lives. Meyerwitz even quotes an article that told women “Don 't fear being aggressive” while at the same time quoting another article that told women that aggressive traits “handicaps... in attracting a husband” (Meyerwitz, …show more content…
May 's writings reads more like a history archive whereas Meyerwitz appears as a critique and history of Post-WWII feminism. However, I argue that these two sources are both incredibly important in understanding what was occurring in the “sphere of containment”, as May put it. Both articles mention how women of color and white women had very different media exposures and experiences outside of the home. Meyerwitz wrote how the Ebony and Negro Digest empowered black women by showing more risque advertisements to show the beauty of black women. May, too, did not neglect black women when speaking on how domesticity meant “freedom and independence in her own home” (May, 27). Both articles paint a strong picture of what the post-WWII culture for women looked like, as both May and Meyerwitz brought up how this was not a forced, nor complete transition of all American women into domesticity. May speaks of how the process of attempted containment went about, with Meyerwitz critiquing just how potent this containment really was. To that end, I would argue that May argued a stronger narrative to the general public, while Meyerwitz argued a stronger narrative to those with an interest in