Epilogue — The Feminine Mystique

In 1946, the anthropologist Margaret Mead wrote that: “women -and men — are confused, uncertain and discontented with the present definition of women’s place in America.” The aftermath of World War II left both sexes yearning for a normal world, frequently defined through a nostalgic haze as one in which men supported their families and women cared for them. After 16 years of depression and war, people sought a less troubled home and family life. Husbands who had tolerated wives’ employment during the war pressured them to return to the home and full-time housewifery once the emergency ended. As one former California defense worker explained, “my husband didn’t want me to work when he was able to keep me at home. Of course, during the war, there wasn’t any question about it because everybody was needed.”