122 The History Teacher hand,teachers and college instructors looking for a concise explanation of millennial- ism or connections between Cold War foreign policy and culture will find useful lecture content here. California State University.Long Beach Eileen Luhr Betty Friedan:The Personal is Political,by Susan Oliver.New York:Pearson Education,Inc.,2008.189 pages.$20.67,paper. In college classrooms and textbooks that deal with twentieth-century feminism,author and activist Betty Friedan is often overshadowed by her 1963 bestseller,The Feminine Mystigue. Indeed,many women have attributed the celebrated literary critique of the restrictions and inadequacies of suburban domesticity in the Cold War era with motivating their own efforts at self-actualization,claiming that it prodded them to question the societal expectations that limited their options and repressed their desires.Yet,few people are aware of the events that shaped Friedan's life,the experiences that brought her to the point of asking, "Is this all there is?"in regard to life and personal fulfillment.Additionally,most people are unaware of the impact the book's success had on Friedan's own life,her subsequent challenges and achievements,and her drive for gender equality that at times put her at odds with even other feminists.By focusing minutely on one achievement,we often miss the larger context and importance of an individual's life.Through this biography,Susan Oliver attempts to pull Friedan from the shadow of her most famous work and invites us to examine her personal life in order that we may better understand and appreciate"the impact and influence"of her activities on the women's rights movement (p.xi). Drawing on earlier biographies,general histories of the women's movement,and Betty Friedan's own writings,Susan Oliver sets out to demonstrate that there was something more to Friedan-beyond the feminine mystique.Oliver starts with Friedan's childhood in suburban Peoria,Illinois,contrasting Bettye's(original spelling)warm attachment to her father,Harry Goldstein,and her strained and often frustrating relationship with her discontented and hypercritical mother,Miriam,who seemed more concerned with superficial appearances than the intellectual pursuits encouraged by Bettye's father.It is in the discussion of her parents that we begin to recognize the underlying influences on Friedan's internal motivation;her father treated her as an intellectual equal,while her mother exuded frustration borne of dissatisfaction with her own domestic role and irrita- tion with her anti-Semitic,middle-class neighbors.In light of her parental models,it is little wonder that Friedan became an activist while at Smith College,reeling at injustices through the power of her pen in regard to causes such as labor reform,academic freedom, and political issues leading to World War II. After setting the precedent for Friedan's commitment to social change,Oliver explores Friedan's personal conviction that she had a moral obligation to positively affect subse- quent generations-a conviction that continued after college and was further strengthened by her own experiences in the work force and through her personal relationships.Oliver points to instances of gender discrimination (Friedan,while a reporter for a labor union newspaper,was fired when she became pregnant with her second child),discusses Friedan's feelings of inadequacy when she became aware of her husband's repeated infidelity,and explores the grievances that led to the writing of The Feminine Mystique.While seemingly a culmination of Friedan's experiences,Oliver points out that the bestseller was merely
122 The History Teacher hand, teachers and college instructors looking for a concise explanation of millennialism or connections between Cold War foreign policy and culture will find useful lecture content here. California State University, Long Beach Eileen Luhr Betty Friedan: The Personal is Political, by Susan Oliver. New York: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008. 189 pages. $20.67, paper. In college classrooms and textbooks that deal with twentieth-century feminism, author and activist Betty Friedan is often overshadowed by her 1963 bestseller. The Feminine Mystique. Indeed, many women have attributed the celebrated literary critique of the restrictions and inadequacies of suburban domesticity in the Cold War era with motivating their own efforts at self-actualization, claiming that it prodded them to question the societal expectations that limited their options and repressed their desires. Yet, few people are aware of the events that shaped Friedan's life, the experiences that brought her to the point of asking, "Is this all there is?" in regard to life and personal fulfillment. Additionally, most people are unaware of the impact the book's success had on Friedan's own life, her subsequent challenges and achievements, and her drive for gender equality that at times put her at odds with even other feminists. By focusing minutely on one achievement, we often miss the larger context and importance of an individual's life. Through this biography, Susan Oliver attempts to pull Friedan from the shadow of her most famous work and invites us to examine her personal life in order that we may better understand and appreciate "the impact and infiuence" of her activities on the women's rights movement (p. xi). Drawing on earlier biographies, general histories of the women's movement, and Betty Friedan's own writings, Susan Oliver sets out to demonstrate that there was something more to Friedan—beyond the feminine mystique. Oliver starts with Friedan's childhood in suburban Peoria, Illinois, contrasting Bettye's (original spelling) warm attachment to her father, Harry Goldstein, and her strained and often frustrating relationship with her discontented and hypercritical mother, Miriam, who seemed more concerned with superficial appearances than the intellectual pursuits encouraged by Bettye's father. It is in the discussion of her parents that we begin to recognize the underlying influences on Friedan's internal motivation; her father treated her as an intellectual equal, while her mother exuded frustration borne of dissatisfaction with her own domestic role and irritation with her anti-Semitic, middle-class neighbors. In light of her parental models, it is little wonder that Friedan became an activist while at Smith College, reeling at injustices through the power of her pen in regard to causes such as labor reform, academic freedom, and political issues leading to World War II. After setting the precedent for Friedan's commitment to social change, Oliver explores Friedan's personal conviction that she had a moral obligation to positively affect subsequent generations—a conviction that continued after college and was further strengthened by her own experiences in the work force and through her personal relationships. Oliver points to instances of gender discrimination (Friedan, while a reporter for a labor union newspaper, was fired when she became pregnant with her second child), discusses Friedan's feelings of inadequacy when she became aware of her husband's repeated infidelity, and explores the grievances that led to the writing of The Feminine Mystique. While seemingly a culmination of Friedan's experiences, Oliver points out that the bestseller was merely
Reviews 123 the beginning of a lifetime of activism which has made "equality and equity more of a social reality for men and women today"(p.xi).In the 1960s,Friedan played a key role in the women's movement through political lobbying and the founding of the National Organization for Women (NOW). In her treatment of Friedan's accomplishments,Oliver is also frank in her dealing with Friedan's personality and emotional state.Strong-willed and dedicated,Friedan could at times be controlling,and even overbearing.In fact,Oliver's description of Friedan's moodiness borders at times on an image of an over-anxious,irrational,control freak. This leads the reader to wonder how such an emotional mess could possibly have been so instrumental in organizing such profound change.Oliver attributes Friedan's moodiness, in part,to Friedan's failing marriage,and thus,her inability to be the successful embodi- ment of wife,mother,and career woman,as promoted in her vision of gender equality. Further,Oliver is critical of Friedan's early position on the lesbian agenda in relation to NOW,all but labeling Friedan homophobic.Though she acknowledges Friedan's fear that a close association with a lesbian agenda would endanger the broader efforts at women's equality,and even acknowledges the historical precedent for such fear,Oliver's disap- proval is evident.She criticizes Friedan for being myopic and exclusionary,for failing to lead a movement that encompassed an agenda that Friedan herself did not articulate(a critique strikingly similar to other historians'assessments that The Feminine Mystique is somehow less revolutionary because it only refected a white,middle-class perspective). The critique is predicated on the notion that feminism should be a homogenous movement, but it never has been. Yet,Oliver does skillfully employ the genre of historical biography to draw attention to broader themes in United States history:immigration,anti-Semitism,Cold War domestic containment,the baby boom and suburban growth,labour reform,and second wave femi- nism.Situating Betty Friedan as the main character against the backdrop of U.S.history, as a means of exemplifying issues,differentiates this biography from others written on Friedan.Additionally,this is an excellent biography for use in the secondary or college classroom.Oliver's articulate prose is engaging and interesting.The book also includes the NOW Statement of Purpose (1966),Bill of Rights for Women (1968),and a section at the end of the book with study questions for each chapter,which should prove useful in helping students to connect Friedan's life to the broader context of the times. American River College Jennifer Aerts Terry Freedom for Themselves:North Carolina's Black Soldiers in the Civil War Era, by Richard M.Reid.Chapel Hill:University of North Carolina Press,2008. 420 pages.$40.00,cloth. During the Civil War,about 180,000 African Americans served in either the Union army or navy,making a significant contribution to Union victory in the conflict.Although largely ignored throughout most of the twentieth century,in recent years,their service has received increasing attention from historians.These works have revealed the sacrifices and hero- ism of the men as well as the cruelties and racism they faced.Freedom for Themselves is an excellent addition to this literature.Richard M.Reid's book examines four African American regiments raised by the Federal government in North Carolina in 1863 and 1864: the 35th,36th,and 37th United States Colored Troops (USCT)and the 14th United States
Reviews 123 the beginning of a lifetime of activism which has made "equality and equity more of a social reality for men and women today" (p. xi). In the 1960s, Friedan played a key role in the women's movement through political lobbying and the founding of the National Organization for Women (NOW). In her treatment of Friedan's accomplishments, Oliver is also frank in her dealing with Friedan's personality and emotional state. Strong-willed and dedicated, Friedan could at times be controlling, and even overbearing. In fact, Oliver's description of Friedan's moodiness borders at times on an image of an over-anxious, irrational, control freak. This leads the reader to wonder how such an emotional mess could possibly have been so instrumental in organizing such profound change. Oliver attributes Friedan'.s moodiness, in part, to Friedan's failing marriage, and thus, her inability to be the successful embodiment of wife, mother, and career woman, as promoted in her vision of gender equality. Further, Oliver is critical of Friedan's early position on the lesbian agenda in relation to NOW, all but labeling Friedan homophobic. Though she acknowledges Friediin 's fear that a close association with a lesbian agenda would endanger the broader efforts at women's equality, and even acknowledges the historical precedent for such fear, Oliver's disapproval is evident. She criticizes Friedan for being myopic and exclusionary, for failing to lead a movement that encompassed an agenda that Friedan herself did not articulate (a critique strikingly similar to other historians' assessments that The Feminine Mystique is somehow less revolutionary because it only reflected a white, middle-class perspective). The critique is predicated on the notion that feminism should be a homogenous movement, but it never has been. Yet, Oliver does skillfully employ the genre of historical biography to draw attention to broader themes in United States history: immigration, anti-Semitism, Cold War domestic containment, the baby boom and suburban growth, labour reform, and second wave feminism. Situating Betty Friedan as the main character against the backdrop of U.S. history, as a means of exemplifying issues, differentiates this biography from others written on Friedan. Additionally, this is an excellent biography for use in the secondary or college classroom. Oliver's articulate prose is engaging and interesting. The book also includes the NOW Statement of Purpose (1966), Bill of Rights for Women (1968), and a section at the end of the book with study questions for each chapter, which should prove useful in helping students to connect Friedan's life to the broader context of the times. American River College Jennifer Aerts Terry Freedom for Themselves: North Carolina's Black Soldiers in the Civil War Era, by Richard M. Reid. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2008. 420 pages. $40.00, cloth. During the Civil War, about 180,000 African Americans served in either the Union army or navy, making a significant contribution to Union victory in the conflict. Although largely ignored throughout most of the twentieth century, in recent years, their service has received increasing attention from historians. These works have revealed the sacrifices and heroism of the men as well as the cruelties and racism they faced. Freedom for Themselves is an excellent addition to this literature. Richard M. Reid's book examines four African American regiments raised by the Federal government in North Carolina in 1863 and 1864: the 35'\ 36'\ and 37"' United States Colored Troops (USCT) and the H"- United States
Copyright of History Teacher is the property of Society for History Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission.However,users may print,download,or email articles for individual use