Mother of the Movement The Writings of Betty Friedan
Mother of the Movement: The Writings of Betty Friedan Often accredited for having helped begin the women’s movement after the publication of her first book, The Feminine Mystique, Betty (Goldstein) Friedan became the object of both appraisal and criticism. ... Though frequently misconstrued by the media and by radical feminists with opposing views, Friedan encouraged women to fight for equal rights in both the workplace and at home. The books that followed The Feminine Mystique not only strengthened her initial ideas and gave new focus to the women’s movement, but helped clarify some of her perceived faults and introduced intimate details about her own life that gave her a more compassionate persona. In order to understand Friedan’s involvement in the women’s movement, one must consider her personal struggles that surround the era, which can be found in her major writings: 1. ... Life So Far: A Memoir by Betty Friedan This research of her participation in the movement focuses on these four works. The Feminine Mystique (1963) After graduating from Smith College with top honors in 1942 and working for a short period of time, Betty Goldstein got married to Carl Friedan and the couple quickly had three children. She settled into the typical housewife/mother role, which she would later call “the feminine mystique” and became increasingly uncomfortable with what her life had become. In 1957, after speaking with some of her fellow graduates from Smith, Friedan realized that other women were unsatisfied with their roles at home (C-Span 2002). ... Friedan wrote what every other woman was afraid to say. According to Alan Wolfe (1999), with this book, Friedan was “credited with launching the contemporary feminist movement. ... Wolfe (1999), also stated that Friedan’s work did not go without academic merit. ... Many radical feminists saw Friedan’s views as boring and repetitive. There were women fighting for equal rights long before 1963 and some of them were of the opinion that what Friedan had written was outdated. Friedan also received criticism from women who felt belittled and threatened by her work.