Friedan cannot stop trying the new example. Such Bettelheim’s other prisoners when you look at the Dachau and you will Buchenwald, residential district lady had “discovered to ‘adjust’ to their physical character,” had “feel situated, couch potato, childlike,” got “abandoned their mature physique of regard to real time from the lower people quantity of food and anything.” Maybe the community so chillingly taken to lifestyle of the Bettelheim is not so not the same as suburbia whatsoever.
But there are large difficulties with basing these types of comparisons into Bettelheim’s blogs. Since Wolfe located of the discovering biographies away from Bettelheim, there are reasons why you should question the brand new veracity from his accounts. He previously a history of fabrication, you start with the educational background one to certified your to have 1st exercises work, and also plagiarism (allegedly). And many more problematically,
Bettelheim’s authority due to the fact a professional in the therapy regarding extreme cases are produced from his account of their enjoy within Dachau and Buchenwald. Was indeed men and women profile in addition to fabricated? At edges they certainly were. . Particularly, Bettelheim’s depiction from their other inmates once the childlike has been confronted, specifically because of the people who believe-that have big fairness-that it was the brand new Nazis, perhaps not the new Jews, who have been the worst foes. . (As [biographer Richard] Pollak highlights, the story in reality started with Eugen Kogon, and you can was retold by Bettelheim.)
Given that Wolfe sooner closes, “The feminine Mystique spoke truthfully adequate to motivate a lot of women each other at that time and because. Yet in the stretched work on the fresh new problems of one’s book loom large. In case your quest for a great end in was followed by also much crappy testimony, the fresh new personal critic will eventually lose the fresh new believe of the extremely readers she desires influence.”
Friedan notices ‘frightening ramifications 
for the future in our nation inside the the parasitical softening that’s getting died on the brand new age bracket of children.’ Particularly, she refers to ‘a current increase in brand new overt signs away from male homosexuality,’ and you will comments:
Really don’t consider this is certainly unrelated to the federal accept of the feminine mystique. Towards feminine mystique keeps glorified and you will perpetuated title regarding femininity and passive, childlike immaturity that is passed on out of mom so you can guy, as well as to daughters.
‘ . It ‘murky smog’ ‘s the finally smut, the last ‘dirty word’ regarding story of your mystique: one to brush, female exterior has started to become discover to cover up a particularly slutty can regarding viruses. Deals additionally the mystique try together with her ultimately causing ‘bearded undisciplined beatnickery’ and good ‘deterioration of your individual profile.’
Men homosexuality since the prevent-area of your own female mystique is not just phony, a regrettable however, accidental distortion of reality it overlays: it’s a great sinister supply of cultural toxic contamination
Friedan also continued to help you coin the term “Lavender Danger” on late sixties within the mention of hazard one to lesbian feminists allegedly presented so you’re able to Today and to the latest feminist direction because the a complete.
In 1977, she acknowledged their mistake on a ladies’ fulfilling for the Houston by pledging support getting lesbian liberties. Based on Bhaskar A great. Shuka’s 2007 guide Feminism: Of Mary Wollstonecraft to Betty Friedan, “When Betty Friedan got brand new microphone so you’re able to promise her support for the brand new lesbian rights activity, girls cheered, certain cried, as well as within area, lots and lots of lavender balloons flower on floor, floating triumphantly into threshold.”
In her 1992 book However Crazy At all This type of Ages: Ladies, Writing and you will Psychoanalysis, cultural-studies scholar Rachel Bowlby brings eloquent voice towards the question one Friedan’s book is not only heteronormative but every so often actually outright homophobic
Daniel Horowitz after that difficult the new book’s legacy with his 1998 book Betty Friedan as well as the And then make of one’s Female Mystique. Inside, the guy launched a surprising, weirdly absolutely nothing-understood truth regarding the creator: She wasn’t whom she told you she is.
And you may Friedan also cited psychologist Bruno Bettelheim’s blog about his feel inside the Nazi amount camps in her section “Progressive Dehumanization: The new Safe Attention Go camping.” Friedan are clear that ladies from the U.S. had it much better than the brand new Nazi prisoners of one’s Holocaust, however, as Wolfe place it,
