This video is a documentary about Betty Fridan’s life and work, combined with several interviews. It was released in the 60s, her book tackles/deals with women’s rights and it’s entitled The Feminine Mystique. The document alternates between testimonies (an actress, a writer who is in favour of her book and another one who’s not) and a report about the writer’s life. Firstly, her book, her approach and her success are emphasized, second we can hear some testimonies in favour of the Feminine Mystique and the final part sheds light on an opposite opinion, but also the scope (la portée) of her book in light of the Women's rights and the wave of Feminism that struck the US in the 60s.

To start with, Betty Friedan published this book in 1963. It denounces how women felt guilty of wanting to be more than their husbands' wives, and how they felt like they didn't have any other choice. It dispels (broke) the myth of the happy homemaker, and how wanting equality made women feel unfeminine. According to her, "career women" became a dirty word.
Therefore, she wondered if other women felt the same, as if something was missing, so she interviewed her former classmates, and realized there was a deep sense of malaise among women with very fine education. They didn't have choices and avenues for their talents, they felt trapped.

The actress and writer interviewed really confirm this idea. Erica Jong (the writer) dwells on/insists on the Lack of freedom/ fulfilment/ satisfaction of the typical model: 3 kids and the perfect house. She adds everybody knew mothers who suffered from the problem that has no name.
Moreover, the actress (Marlo Thomas) confesses how different she felt back then, when all her friends got married after college, and she just didn't want to follow that path. This book broke the mould : unconventional and stunning.
 

Nevertheless (pourtant) it was also received as a slap in the face. Some women being satisfied/content with their roles as homemakers felt personally attacked / judged by the book. The last woman interviewed (a writer and happy housewife) said her role was extremely useful to society (clean, cook, raise the kids) and that she felt it was dismissed as dilettantism by Betty Friedan. 

 
Eventually/Finally, it is fully acknowledged (taken into account) that this timely book may have triggered/sparked the women's rights movement when it became a national issue. 

Expressionism : enhances (amplifies) emotions, conveys (transmettre) a sublime vision

Poetic and realistic vision intertwined / interwoven / interlaced / entangled / melted

He wishes he could live / he’d rather (he would prefer)live in the 20s, whereas Adriana wishes she could live during la Belle Epoque : they don’t belong together

Definition of nostalgia : (etymology : longing = desiring to return home) it’s also the denial of the painful present = escapism for the people who find it difficult to cope with (to deal with) the present.

What is the role of the artist ? The role of an artist is to express his/her creativity, his personal vision, communicate new and original ideas, convey and share emotions, ask existential questions like what is the essence of life, be the voice of a generation (and invites the people to reflect on topical issues), denounce, a guide to a community, an inspiration. 

End of the movie : the past is beautiful, embellished etc. but it’s techless (sans technologie), it lacks (manquer de) scientific and medical progress, it’s not ideal ; it’s a never-ending story, a vicious circle, we always fantasize on a better life etc. (The grass is greener !)

Je ne vais évidemment pas pouvoir faire la phase 2 d'interaction avec chacun d'entre vous, mais c'est ce qui vous sera demandé pour l'épreuve officielle en 2è année. 

Toutefois, lorsque vous vous enregistrerez (fichier son ou vidéo que je puisse lire sur VLC, intitulé avec votre nom), vous veillerez à bien faire une présentation personnelle de 1 à 2 minutes (Name / Age / Hobbies / Future plans...) suivie d'un commentaire incluant si possible 3 parties où vous analysez le document textuel en lien avec les documents iconographiques et faites ressortir une problématique. 

On attend de vous : 
Une introduction en bonne et due forme (entrée en matière / présentation du sujet / problématisation / annonce du plan dynamique = pas linéaire) + 2 ou 3 parties avec appui sur les documents pour justifier ses idées, mais aussi apport de culture personnelle. Transitions entre les parties et conclusion avec bilan et ouverture sur une autre question / un autre thème / une oeuvre ou un sujet d'actualité... 
Le tout est de veiller à votre anglais (grammaire), richesse du lexique (reportez-vous à la fiche méthode sur le padlet "analytical words" pour enrichir votre vocabulaire), prononciation (vous pouvez aller écouter la prononciation des mots sur youtube en amont de votre enregistrement) et bien sûr argumentation et cohérence / structure. Ce sont les critères sur lesquels vous serez évalués. 

Je vous mets le dossier de travail pour la synthèse orale en pj. Prenez votre temps et envoyez-moi via mail votre fichier audio. La présentation + le travail de commentaire ne doit pas dépasser les 10 minutes ! Si vous pouviez m'envoyer votre travail avant le 10 avril = dans 3 semaines) ce serait parfait.