The Feminine Mystique Analysis

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The Feminine Mystique is a novel written by Betty Freidan analyzing the sadness and depression American women felt during the 1950’s. Friedan’s research describes the subservient conditions women experienced and labels their mutual unfulfillment as “the problem with no name” (Friedan, p9). As a wife and mother living during post-World War II, consumer culture spread the stereotype that lifelong fulfillment would be found within marriage and motherhood. Friedan defines the feminine mystique as women’s limited potential through society’s idealized image of the housewife occupation. She argues that the unhappiness and emptiness women felt was an internal conflict rooted in the feminine mystique. In order to influence her audience Friedan presents …show more content…
Friedan’s influential movement founded multiple organisations supporting and advocating Women’s rights. The persuasive techniques she incorporated appealed to qualities found within all humans. Friedan’s presentation of academic journals and criticisms create and define the idea of the feminine mystique. Her numerical evidence inspires critical reasoning within her audience. Friedan created a base for which women would be able to speak about the subject. By periodically incorporating first person narrative Freidan strengthens the personal relationship with the reader by making the feel very real. She appeals to the audience’s sense of reason and supports these statements by providing reliable statistics, and excerpts from various primary sources strengthening her findings. Friedan promotes education and a universal search of meaning, using knowledge as manner to avoid becoming imprisoned by feminine mystique. She calls for a reconsideration of what outlines femininity, and redefined women’s choices as the construct for their roles in society. Freidan encourages women to negate the predominant culture gripping society and overcome the subservient conditions meant to keep them
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