Original scientific paper
In Search of the Phenomenon of The Feminine Mystique in Julia O'faolain’s and Irena Vrkljan’s Writings
Alenka Šuljić Petrc
Abstract
With the emergence of feminism as a social movement in which women fight for their status and a new position in society, we encounter a pluralisation of the term feminism, which is perceived as numerous theoretical and critical approaches to the question of the position of women throughout history, from the beginnings of patriarchal society to modern times. The term feminine mystique is the result of years of research by journalist Betty Friedan on the position of women in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. This phenomenon reflects the generally accepted stereotypes about women in the society of the time, in which male dominance was omnipresent. These stereotypes are related to the position of women in the communities in which they live and are consequently reflected in the macro-space, i.e., in Western society as a whole, where women are seen as objects. The social rules imposed by the social hierarchy upheld by men and the satisfaction by women of beliefs, ideas and needs of the time are labelled by Betty Friedan as the feminine mystique. This paper aims to find elements of the phenomenon of the feminine mystique in the novel by the Irish writer Julie O'Faolain The Obedient Wife and in the novel Zelene čarape by the Croatian writer Irena Vrkljan, while asserting that the main characters of both novels are successful in their search for truth through their experiences. The concept of truth and the phenomenon of the feminine mystique are linked by the desire and need of the main characters to free themselves from the 'shackles' of upbringing and the given social framework. The discovery of feminine truth enables them to become aware of themselves and allows them to change, regardless of the age at which they underwent this process.
Keywords
the feminine mystique; feminism; Betty Friedan; Julia O'Faolain; Irena Vrkljan
Hrčak ID:
333985
URI
Publication date:
24.7.2025.
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