The Feminine Mystique

Wife’s Achievements”. The article details the life of a housewife in 1956. They fell back into the traditional roles of a wife. They kept the house, took care of the children, and worked civic work jobs from the home (254). Another article, The Feminine Mystique, discussed what they called “the problem”. They referred to the feeling the normal housewife had of “is this all?” as in was this all there was to life? It used to be that the roll of a housewife was all a woman needed but as time…

From the Mattel toy models that young little girls admired on shelves of toy stores and human doll transformations videos that are popular on the internet, Barbie and many other plastic heroines have made a huge influence on today’s modern women. Marge Piercy’s poem, “Barbie Doll”, explores the awkward obstacles of puberty and the pressures of reaching the standards of beauty and acceptance. This story of a young normal girl being conformed into the lifestyle of being “perfect” is a true…

Since the early days of writing and even spoken word, stories often tell of the time in which they were first told, even if that story may be about dragons, mythical kings, or even magical beings. We learn from these stories and the insight they have to offer us in modern day education and observation. We learn how things operated, how people were treated, the views on religion, and sexuality, and in this particular case, women’s sexuality. It is no surprise that in history women are more than…

When summarizing Rocky Horry Picture Show, we must not only understand the history of the production- but also the history of the world at the time of its release. RHS is arguably a postmodern masterpiece, although it’s cult following would never claim that title. To proclaim itself a serious postmodern work of art would allow the show to be adopted by the mainstream, whose attributes are usually NOT what the show stands for whatsoever. Rather, the show provides both audience members and…

Expansion of Equality in America Ever since America was born, the white male has always prominently been the primary holder of power. Just one hundred years ago, America was in an extreme state of inequality. Women had no legal right to vote until the 19th amendment was passed in 1920, and Native Americans weren’t even considered citizens until 1924. African Americans were given the right to vote in 1870 when the 15th amendment was passed, granting citizens the right to vote regardless of…

My grandmother, Sarah Nowak (nee Choate), was only 19 years old when she married her first husband Joe Mike McKinney in 1958. Joe Mike was an engineering student at Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas, so Sarah dropped out of community college, where she was previously enrolled, and worked as a secretary to help pay for his tuition. Although women did not have careers, it was not uncommon for them to work while their husbands were in college. “It was common in our day for women to help their husbands…

Background The aftermath of the World War II was revolutionary for the American society on various fronts. Economically, socially, and politically, the country underwent rampant changes that greatly contributed to the current state of American society. Economically, the country experienced an unmatched growth with meteoric rises in the Gross Domestic Products and the Per Capita Income between 1945 and 1960 (Hanchett, 1996). The country also witnessed the industrial boom era that increased the…

The term feminism originated in the late 19th century as the French word “feminisme,” invented by Charles Fourier, and was first used in English in the 1890s, in association with the movement for equal political and legal rights for women. So far Feminism has come in three waves, the first was the Women’s Suffrage Movement of 1910 in Washington State. This was the first movement of its kind and it caused a lot controversy. The fight for Women’s right to Vote was hard fought, but Washington State…

April is taking part in a community play as an actress which distant her from the responsibilities at home. Her action describes the “the housewife syndrome” mentioned by Betty Freidan in The Feminine Mystique which denotes her intentions to escape the desperation and frustration she feels being contained as a housewife. However, such actions characterized by seeking fulfillment and happiness in social spaces other than the home typically result in…

Since its birth, the United States has seen many changes in society. These changes, primarily movements, have almost always are led by citizens, seeking change and reform. With this though, there is nearly always an opposing side, sometimes majority depending on geographical location, but primarily minor in the areas where the movement is most prominent. The three movements I have decided to discuss include; “Civil Rights Movement”, “Feminist Movement”, and “The Great Society”. These three acts…