Summary of The Feminine Mystique (50th Anniversary Edition)

The Feminine Mystique (50th Anniversary Edition) is a landmark work which sparked the second-wave of feminism and sparked a revolution in how society views and treats women. Written by Betty Friedan, the book focuses on the lives of post-World War II suburban housewives and their struggle with despair, isolation, and identity crisis while living within a system of cultural expectations to be content with little more than marriage and motherhood. Friedan's research included interviews with hundreds of women across the nation, which yielded her groundbreaking finding that women who felt confined to the roles of housewife and mother were actually feeling a unique set of problems stemming from their deep sense of dissatisfaction with suburban life, or what she termed "the problem with no name". With this book, Friedan motivated and empowered women to realize their potential and break down gender barriers in education, employment, and politics. The book has since become an enduring classic which has transformed the way we think about gender, identity, and the values of a modern society.