Domestic Goddess Analysis

Words: 1820
Pages: 8

Women’s roles within their family unit have come a long way since the Second World War ended. The cultural norm is no longer that women are expected to stay in the home. Dynamics and the power balances between husbands and wives are beginning to move into a direction of equality, away from the “to love and obey” ideal that had been so present in the minds of so many couples for so many years. However, as much as societal and cultural norms have changed, how much have they actually stayed the same? An interview conducted by Marie Antram with self-described “Domestic Goddess” Mrs. Jerrilyn Hamstrom in 2002 presents many fascinating insights into the similarities and differences of the roles of women in a family since the end of World War II. Her interview is excellent for understanding how women deal with their roles as housewives from the time proceeding World War II and how American society’s perception of housewives having an easy or perfect life differs from the actual experiences of the women living those lives. Mrs. Hamstrom was born in 1965 and, during the time of her interview in 2002, was a full time mom, or “Domestic Goddess” as she liked to put it. She is a wife and a mother of 3 …show more content…
Hamstrom’s interview is that she and the interviewer spend a decently long amount of time discussing television shows that they both enjoy and how Mrs. Hamstrom spends her leisure time when she is not taking care of the kids. She talks about some television shows that she enjoys and how it's “scary” how much of her time the shows take up. She talks about how she has a computer and uses it for her own personal enjoyment occasionally, but almost all of the leisure time she talks about involves activities that take place either directly inside the home or literally right outside. This brings up an interesting point on how the development of technology over time has only contributed to the dull and unfulfilling lifestyles that housewives so often