The Feminine Mystique

Because Friedan sees Freud’s theories as still enormously influential in her contemporary moment, she provides evidence that his theories on gender did not reflect purely objective data, but rather the prevailing ideology of the Victorian era. This does not make Freud a worthless theorist who got everything wrong, but it does mean that contemporary society should pause before thoughtlessly accepting all his theories as gospel truth.

The Freudian theory Friedan objects to most strenuously is “penis envy”: the idea that girls, upon becoming aware of men’s sexual organs, notice their own lack of a penis and experience jealousy. According to Freud, this envy eventually transforms into heteronormative behavior like marriage and child-rearing in “healthy” women. In “unhealthy” women, however, penis envy may manifest in behaviors typically reserved for men, including pursuing interests outside the domestic sphere. Thus, those following Freud’s theories might see any woman pursuing interests not typically “feminine” as mentally unwell.

Friedan finds this idea is absurd: Women do indeed have legitimate grounds to envy men, but not for their genitals. Envying men for their rights and opportunities is not mentally deranged but normal and logical. She lays out evidence that Freud was steeped in the sexist ideas of his era.