Elizabeth Whitaker

In 1963's The Feminine Mystique, Betty Friedan challenged the vision 1950s America had of itself as a nation of happy housewives and contented families. After World War II, society had fostered the idea that women wanted to run a home and live through the achievements of a husband and children. But in reality, Friedan argued, rigid gender roles left housewives frustrated and depressed and caused tensions both in their marriages and parenting.