The Feminine Mystique “Each suburban wife struggled with it [a sense of dissatisfaction] alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries, matched slipcover material, ate peanut butter sandwiches with her children, chauffeured Cub Scouts and Brownies, lay beside her husband at night- she was afraid to ask even herself the silent question- ‘Is this all [there is]?’”

Main Idea Betty Friedan wrote the novel to address women’s distaste with their roles during the 1960’s, and how they longed for something more than just being housewives.

Point of View/Bias Betty Friedan believed that prejudice against women in the workforce should be eliminated, and that women should take a stand against sexism.

Inferences The Feminine Mystique launched the contemporary women’s movement in It led to the permanent transformation of the social fabric of the US and countries around the world. The novel slaughters the belief that women are bound to be housewives.