The Feminine Mystique: A Brief Literary Analysis

Literature greatly impacted the second-wave feminism movement in the post-WWII era through 1960’s and 70’s. Some say that Betty Freidan’s novel, The Feminine Mystique, was the spark needed to fuel the entire movement. Much like Freidan, other women used their words to break gender boundaries. One of which was Gloria Steinem, an activist, journalist, and feminist. She wrote about topics that had never been discussed, providing a place for women to share their common experiences. In result, women gained a new spot in the world of journalism that wasn’t just about “fashion and food and make-up and babies” (Steinem, 2013). In 1971, Steinem co-founded Ms. Magazine, a feminist magazine dedicated to serious issues, like contraceptive rights and domestic abuse. Ms. Magazine was not Steinem’s only piece of literature containing an empowering feminist message. Throughout her entire career, Steinem has been breaking down the walls of gender inequality, one article, novel, magazine, speech or expose at a time. Ever since her birth in 1934, Gloria Steinem has never been one to follow tradition.
On March 25rd, 1934, parents Ruth and Leo Steinem introduce newborn Gloria to their home in Toledo, Ohio. From the beginning, her upbringing was not the easiest. For the first eleven years of her life, Gloria did not regularly attend school due to
Some of her most famous books are Revolution from within, Outrageous Acts of Everyday Rebellions, a collection of her most famous essays including “I Was a Playboy Bunny” and “If Men Could Menstruate”, and Marilyn: Norma Jean, a biographical account of Marilyn Monroe’s life (Steinem, 1983). Along with her books, she also was involved with documentaries and film adaptations of her stories. She produced an Emmy winning HBO documentary about child abuse, and her expose “A Bunny’s Tale” was turned into a movie (Steinem,