Looking back this is what people , mostly men, really thought a woman wanted and would be satisfied with. Being home cooking, cleaning , raising the kids, that’s what their life consisted of, that is what they were born to do, their sole purpose. Later they were surprised when women wanted more, and wanted to be treated fairly and just. In some cases women were forced to stay in unhappy, abusive, toxic marriages because of the sole purpose that they relied on their husbands. Men had the power, they brought home the money, they were a woman’s life line. Without a husband you had nothing. No surprise here that women wanted out. Women wanted to pursue their own dreams and goals. Looking to present day women are waiting and committing,getting married later in their life. This is because they want to achieve goals before they settle down. That’s not to say you can’t have the best of both worlds. There are women  who do get married, have a family, and still have a career. But this was not an option for women in the past. Something we might overlook is LQBTQ women during those times. Not only were they forced to hide who they truly are. But having to marry someone who they are not in love with nor attracted to. Not being able to express who they truly are, love who they really want, looking their inner self in a cage at the sake of losing it all. 

The feminine mystique I think was everything women were thinking and talking about put into one piece of writing. It has transcended from generation to generation and is still being read and analyzed till this day. This is because this piece genuinely  spoke to women . Women are more than a housewife, more than a stay at home mother. Men are not the only ones who get all the power and glory. There are constant barriers stacked up against women , pushing them back. But women continue to fight and push back. There has been progress made but it’s not enough. Not until the idea and notion that women are just born to be caregivers and housewives is eradicated. We know that there is so much out there we can do , but in other countries women don’t have the same luxury.It is for that same reason that the job is still not done. It’s one thing to want to stay home and raise the kids and what not, the problem is that women were not given the option to do so but rather forced to do so. This was the only thing they had. When women started talking to one another and admitting that they are unhappy , that they wanted more, that this is the way everyone felt , they took action. It’s moments like these that make history. We can sit back and compare a woman’s life then and now. Yes progress has been made but there is still work that has to be done. From women in STEM making strides to be a part of “male dominated” jobs, to women not wanting to get married or simply waiting, to women putting themselves and their goals first.