Studies
Scientific studies, statistics, and journals were all important pieces of imagery that held a definite role in the novel. What these studies would show is the scientific proof that women could not adhere to the expectations which society had plastered upon them. As we can see with the American sex researcher A. C. Kinsey, most studies pointed to the idea that women needed to fulfill their ambitions, just like men, in order to achieve self-fulfillment.
Apron
The apron, a common household article of clothing worn in the kitchen, was a prominent piece of imagery in The Feminine Mystique. As can be expected, the apron was the image of the perfect housewife. The perfect housewife would focus on cooking, cleaning, and raising the children. She especially had to spend much of her time in the kitchen preparing meals for her husband and any of his guests. As a result, the apron came to show the shackles the community placed on all women.
Businesses
Businesses can be found mentioned throughout the noel and are imagery for the sphere of men and work-related activities which men participate in. Men were allowed to work in businesses, create businesses, and deal with the general economic activities of the country, while women were limited to the domestic sphere. As a result, the imagery of businesses of novels created a scene in the readers' minds that depicted the inequality in American society, especially in terms of economic activity and jobs.
Television
Although this imagery was uses sparsely through the novel, the imagery of television was used to demonstrate the idea of mass persuasion by the media and by people in society in general. With these televisions, women and men throughout the United States were able to witness news shows, broadcasts, and psychologists all explaining why women must not take part in pursuing their jobs and careers and why women must be dedicated to their family and the home. This constant barrage of one-sided ideology helped persuade the public and women to stay in the position they were in instead of fighting against it.
