The Feminine Mystique

Lore & Background

She conducted interviews with other suburban housewives, as well as researching psychology, media, and advertising. Friedan originally intended to create an article on the topic, but no magazine would publish the work. The book faced criticism for focusing primarily on the experiences of white, middle-class women and overlooking the perspectives of women of color and working-class women.

Reader's Guide

The Feminine Mystique begins with an introduction describing what Friedan called 'the problem that has no name'—the widespread unhappiness of women in the 1950s and early 1960s. Friedan discusses the lives of several housewives who were unhappy despite living in material comfort and being married with children. She questions women's magazines, the women's education system, and advertisers for creating the widespread image of women as fulfilled only by domesticity. Friedan coined the phrase 'feminine mystique' to describe the assumptions that women would be fulfilled from their housework, marriage, sexual lives, and children. The book argues that women were unsatisfied and could not voice their feelings. Its significance lies in challenging the prevailing belief that women who were truly feminine should not want to work, get an education, or have political opinions, and in sparking widespread discussion that contributed to the second-wave feminist movement.

Did You Know?

• Friedan originally intended to create an article on the topic, but no magazine would publish the work.
• The book faced criticism for focusing primarily on the experiences of white, middle-class women.
• Friedan coined the phrase 'feminine mystique' to describe assumptions that women would be fulfilled from housework, marriage, sexual lives, and children.
• The book initially sold over a million copies.