The reading from Feminine Mystique was incredibly thought provoking, as a woman myself, but for anyone reading it. The book discusses pre wartime where the key to being feminine was the desire to not want education or a career, but a husband and family to care for. The American dream for a woman was to be a suburban housewife, freed by science and labour-saving appliances from the drudgery and the dangers of childbirth, and the illnesses of her grandmother. She was healthy, beautiful, educated and concerned only about her husband, children and home (Friedman 2001). This gives the impression that woman at the time really only had one role in the world, to care for their husband, children, and home, or a typical housewife role. Although nobody argued whether women were superior or inferior, they were classified as different (Friedman 2001). By calling the female sex different, it does make it seem like are inferior, as in a different species. Which in a way, women were. Not working, or attending school, but staying home all day to cook and clean would potentially make anyone bored. The author goes on to explain that suddenly women during that time began to discuss their unhappiness with each other, even psychiatrists. Now the odd thing was that although it would be suspected that the single, lonely women would be unhappier, this was not the case. The housewives felt trapped, unchallenged and bored which led them to sleep all day and self medicate. This article proves to me that most people, women or men, want to feel challenged, and have a purpose in life. Although, many women still choose to stay home and raise their families, now it is their choice to do so. Others find fulfillment in working, education, or other passions.

 

The second reading of The Second Sex touched again on the oppression of women years ago. The impressions that I get from this reading is that women were defined in comparison to men, from a biological perspective in the way of saving they have ovaries etc. She claims women do not have a cclear unit to face others as a united organization such as cultures as African Americans or those of Jewish decent. (Beauvoir 1989). Overall what I gather from this reading is the struggle to define women, although it seems the author wants to define us as equals to men, or to define us all as just human. I feel that in the last 10 years or so women have began to gain more and more power, making us seen as a force to be reckoned with. Although I wish there were areas of life that we could see more equality. For example I listened to the podcast called Sincerely X in an episode called Equality Executive it discusses the lack of CEO and managerial type positions being held by women. It even goes on to say that there are more men named John CEO’s in the top 250 companies than there are women CEO’s.(Cohen 2017).

 

 

Cohen, June. Interview with anonymous. Sincerely X. Ted Talk. August 17, 2017.