TOW #8: "The Feminine Mystique" (IRB)

What I find most interesting about the way Betty Friedan structures her arguments is her ability to utilize a Rogerian-esque approach when citing controversial data or relaying stories of real women that may anger or upset male readers. Although her audience is primarily women, specifically mothers and housewives, Friedan recognizes that she will undoubtedly receive male readers as well. She prepares for the inevitable cultural backlash by softening the blows of her argument. She does not sugarcoat anything; however she appeals to her hypothetical opponents by revealing extensive research and statistics to help support her argument.

In the chapter "Progressive Dehumanization", Friedan discusses how unrealistic ideals are pushed onto girls at an early age by not only quoting several anecdotes from real women, but also including definitions and components of important terms. She draws from psychology, saying, "The term 'acting out' is used in psychotherapy to describe the behavior of a patient which is not in accord with the reality of a given situation" (346). By combining concrete definitions with more editorial-style writing, Friedan is able to appeal to both pathos and logos to justify her argument to her audience.

Additionally, Friedan's use of metaphors like that of a pendulum which "has begun to swing in the opposite direction" (337), according to some, connects abstract concepts like gender, social roles, and expectations, to concrete and more 'solid' ideas like a pendulum. Such metaphors are recurrent throughout the novel, and highlight her ability to take what some might believe to be imaginary or fictional and place it within very real parameters. Her metaphors highlight the intricacies of our society, and reveal just how much within our culture is fabricated. Friedan is able to show audiences how the feminine mystique pervades all aspects of society, and the harsh realities women encounter when dealing with these perpetuated beliefs.