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When the Womens Suffrage Movement was deemed a success in the early 1920 s, women lowered their voices, apparently satisfied with their accomplishment. They did not dare to acknowledge the remaining gender-related inequalities, much less vie for their decline (Early 20 th Century). For over a century, women had fought for the most basic of rights. They fought not only the plebeian society, but also many of the intellectuals of the Enlightenment. When Jean Jacques Rousseau, one of the most influential writers of the Enlightenment, claimed that women were naturally suited to be subordinate companions of men, English writer Mary Wollstonecraft wrote her manifest, A Vindication of the Rights of Women.
It argued to Rousseau and anyone else who belittled women that women are naturally rational, as are their male counterparts. It stated that the reason this rationality is not as apparent in women is that they lack the education of men to cultivate it. She further argued that education is key in successful marriages, so that husband and wife are not only legal partners, but also friends (Encarta Womens Rights) Mary Wollstonecraft laid the path for future women to follow, but women did not follow this path until they started to become used to the minuscule amount of attention that Wollstonecraft afforded them. When this happened, women began to see more room for improvement in their treatment and rights. The step proceeding Wollstonecraft was Womens Suffrage, and when this was achieved, as previously mentioned, feminism again became quiet.
After three decades of inactivity, women again began to see more rights that males were allowed yet not them, so again, feminists began pushing for advancement in their cause. This renewal of interest, however, was not only due to the fact that women saw room for improvement through familiarity with established rights of women. During World War I and World War II, women were allowed to occupy various traditional male roles, even if for no reason other than necessity. Though these tasks did help in the advancement of womens ideas of their ability, they also added to the girlish identity of all women. The idea that these tasks projected portrayed a women who was in a mans place in the same manner as a child in his fathers work attire appears cute, but no more.
Even though women performed the same tasks as did men, such as helping to construct B- 17 s, their efforts only backfired, and they were deemed such childish names as Rosie the Riveter (Encarta World War II). Wanting to escape this childish identity, women of the early 1950 s readily embraced Christian Dior's New Look. They exchanged short, square, loose dresses for skirts within inches of the floor and foundation garments that further supported the feminine mystique (Evans 243). This style, however, back-fired as had the wartime jobs when the longer skirts shifted to a baby doll image. Women turned from the short-lived assertive presence demonstrated by the early star Katherine Hepburn to coquettish pleaser's of mentally and fluffy, a roll well played by Doris Day (Evans 248). Women were further dissuaded form occupations outside the household by the Cold War.
The House of Un-American Activities Committee circulated a pamphlet that quoted John Hanna, a professor at Columbia University, in saying that, The girls school and womens colleges contain some of the most loyal disciples of Russia. Teachers there are often frustrated females. They have gone through bitter struggles to attain their positions. A political dogma based on hatred expresses their personal attitudes. (Evans 244 - 245). In fear of being called communists, many women strayed from both giving and receiving an education.
Fear of communism and the back-firing of fashion and wartime jobs changed the definition of the feminine mystique. It was initially defined as homemaking and motherhood in tandem with Freudian sexuality to form a modernized version of republican motherhood. By 1954, however, the definition had regressed to [creating] a warm haven, a happy family life (Evans 247), only proving the regression of women (Evans 246 - 248). In the 1950 s, the idea that the woman should be the driving force behind the family's dominant optimism was popular throughout the United States. The nostalgic portrayal in the TV series Happy Days accurately reflected the ideals that were desired of a happy All-American family. Womens duties to the house were only magnified with the increasing availability of household appliances such as the clothes-washing machine because they increased the standard of cleanliness.
Raised standards of cleanliness and larger quantities of clothing mean more time dedicated to housework, causing women to experience isolation and loss of self-esteem over such trivial things as laundry and cooking (Evans 247). Womens feelings of guilt even extended to the type of cake mixes they used; they felt too guilty to use cake mixes with eggs included, requiring only the addition of water and baking. When cake mix manufacturers realized this and began producing mixes requiring the addition of eggs and water rather than only water, sales skyrocketed. Women did not begin buying easy-make cake without eggs for a more savory taste, however. They bought it because adding their own fresh eggs paired with baking it instilled feelings of familial love rather than just time off for the housewife. This only reiterated the fact that women were caught in the trap; they too saw themselves as nothing more than homemakers and mothers (Evans 250 - 251).
Television commercials did more than advertise cake-mix and appliances, though. Not only did the commercials show women products to use, but also the identity that they were supposed to fulfill. Because of this, the Pleasantville-like household was consistent throughout the nation, making the social repression of women one common aspect between the North and South in a nation still divided by differing ideas of segregation of races. After the social repression of women during the 1950 s their fight for improvement during the 1960 s came as the inevitable. This long awaited movement was sparked by the turbulent times.
The Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War with its corresponding anti-war movement caused the nation to reflect on its flaws. For a long time matters of importance had been overlooked and left alone or taken for granted. These new movements forced the nation to look at these issues, such as Civil Rights, and fix things that had long needed mending. Women followed this nation-wide trend of reflection.
Even in the South an undercurrent of women came to the realization that they were no longer content with their inferior Bibliography:
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Research essay sample on World War Ii Rights Of Women
