Stasis Theory of The Feminine Mystique

The main focus of the excerpt is defining and proving the existence of an often neglected problem women had in the 1950s and 1960s—”the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities.” Friedan pointed out that many women in America felt trapped because their lives were all about their husbands and their children. False social expectations were the main cause of the oppression of women. Women were forced to think that the best life they could have was marrying a man and raising children. They also learned to pity those women who struggled to find their identities through work. Friedan warned that the production of housewives who lack in identity and education would lead to the progressive dehumanization of the next generation. Friedan also encouraged women to take action and seek a better life for themselves. 'The Feminine Mystique' is a huge inspiration of many feminists in 1960s and it is credited with empowering the second-wave feminism.

- Pei-Jo Yang