The 'Feminine Mystique'

The publication of Betty Friedan's 'The Feminine Mystique' in 1963 was revolutionary in its dealing with a chapter in women's history in America which had for a long time been ignored. Friedan was concerned with the role of women after World War II, especially in regard to a nagging dissatisfaction that was mostly veiled in public. Not only shall the problem that has no name and the political, social and economic circumstances preceding and surrounding it be explained more thoroughly. This book will also be concerned with finding the mystique in Sylvia Plath's 'The Bell Jar' and Mary McCarthy's 'The Group.' As each novel deals with cultural and social norms and restrictions in America, focusing on (a) female protagonist(s), it seemed plausible to search for the feminine mystique in those two novels and analyze them in regard to Friedan's findings.