“Early Rebels: The Gray Flannel Dissidents” and and “The Beat Rebellion: Beyond Work and Marriage.”

I find it interesting that many people may feel that women are the only gender that has personal issues, during the 1950s. I also find it intriguing on how each gender can blame the other for their lack of happiness. The “Early Rebels: The Gray Flannel Dissidents” actually reminds me of a previous reading called “The feminine Mystique” which was basically about women and how they felt they lacked a sense of who they were. In The Early Rebels, it was more on men and how they felt the same as the women in the previous reading just mentioned. It seemed that both genders are basically trying to live a life that society wants them to live.

In the reading, the men were pressured into getting married and having kids, denying what they truly wanted to do. These men not only had to get married, and have kids but they also had to have the nice house, white collar jobs and etc. It actually seems like a lot to handle, but this is what society wanted. This was the norm around this period. Honestly, in my opinion it is not that much of a difference as to what society portray in this time period. I mean being successful and living the American dream is what is portrayed in our society. At the end of the day, honestly it is how you live your life and how comfortable you are. These men had emptiness, realizing that they put all their dreams aside to go by the concept of conformity. With this concept of conformity, men had all these responsibilities of fatherhood and marriage that it permitted them not to fulfill their dreams. In my opinion I believe that even though society wanted them to live a certain way, they also had the power to do what makes them happy. Everyone has a dream, a dream that they may have dreamt about for years, and should be able to fulfill them. There is no harm in doing what completes you, just as in the reading of the “Feminine Mystique”.

This is a nice Segway into the reading “The Beat Rebellion: Beyond Work and Marriage.” Since society wanted them to live a certain life such as marriage and kids. There were people that went against all the concepts of conformity. There were the Beats, beatniks, and playboys.  The Beats “were against virtually every aspect of current American society: Mom, Dad, Politics, Marriage, The savings bank, organized religions…”  They all were different in their own ways, but what they all had in common was “their rejection of the pact that the family wage system rested on.” I said that this was a nice segway because these groups actually took a stand to what society wanted them to do, and did what they dreamed of. In my opinion it is not the best way to go about it, because I believe you can have both. You can have your family and job and also be happy. They did not take on any responsibilities which honestly made them look bad. They went against norms, they believed that getting married and etc , was an enslavement, and that women would take over. Overall it was brave of them to go against these norms. Many people may have looked down upon them, because of their lack of responsibility, but at the same time honestly I feel like at some point in time they would have to take on responsibility not giving up their dreams it is best of both worlds. Many people may not see that, and it may be difficult but it is not impossible.

"The Problem With No Name"

“The problem with no name” is an interesting reading that captured my attention on several aspects. As said in the reading females during that time period have a specific role, a role in which every female wanted to have. This was a role that was portrayed all throughout the media, and even psychologists like Freud. This role was to be feminine, and being feminine was to get married, have kids, and take care of kids and husband. They were just simply “housewives”. Having an education or dreaming about having a career was considered to be unfeminine, and those who have careers are said to be unhappy.

 Reading this made me realize how much things have changed, in this day and age. Females now are more interested in their careers; actually I believe they are interested in both their careers and in their families. Many females now believe they can take the role of a man. Females are more motivated to do things that are said to be only done by men, because of the stereotype that women cannot achieve anything I man can do, or the saying “this is a man job” No, I women can be anything she want to be, are women minorities yes, is it difficult to get to the top yes, but many females each and every day are making a change. There is no problem with being a housewife, matter of fact i believe there is alot of work to taking care of a family. I also believe that women need to have a career outside their homes. It is a way to experience other things, rather than stay in their homes, and most importantly gives them a sense of self-worth, and self-recognition. In the reading these females gave up their dreams to become a housewife, as mentioned before this was something that was seen as being the female role.

 As the reading continues many of these housewives went on to say “Is this it”.

 A mother of four mentions “I've tried everything women are supposed to do--hobbies, gardening, pickling, canning, being very social with my neighbors, joining committees, running PTA teas. I can do it all, and I like it, but it doesn't leave you anything to think about--any feeling of who you are. I never had any career ambitions. All I wanted was to get married and have four children. I love the kids and Bob and my home. There's no problem you can even put a name to. But I'm desperate. I begin to feel I have no personality. I'm a server of food and putter-on of pants and a bed maker, somebody who can be called on when you want something. But who am I?”

This proves what I said earlier. A lot of these housewives don’t know who they are, and feel as if they have no life outside their families. As I said before there is nothing wrong with that, but clearly these females felt they wanted to have more than a family and kids, they wanted to mean something to themselves and to the world. Now having a career is not the only thing that will make someone feel better bout themselves. It takes alot, but at the end of the day its what make you feel happy. In my opinion, i believe it is good to have both, career and family, and also have time to yourself to get away from certain things.