The Women's Room

Published in 1977, The Women's Room is a feminist fiction novel by Marilyn French. Set in the 1950s-1960s, the novel follows Mira Ward, a typical submissive housewife, during her feminist awakening. Although several aspects of Mira's life mirror French's, the author has stated that the novel is not autobiographical. After divorcing from her husband with whom she had two children, French attended Harvard and later became an instructor at Hofstra University. She is well known as a feminist author and is even mentioned in the lyrics of the song "The Day Before You Came" by ABBA.

Mira was raised to be a proper lady. She was taught only to cross her legs at the ankles and never to rough house while playing. Even as a child, she feels that the restrictions placed on girls are stifling and that boys have a great deal more freedom in life.

In high school, Mira dates a boy named Lanny. At a school dance, Lanny ignores her, so she spends the evening dancing with other boys. As a result, her reputation suffers, and the other students begin calling her loose. She realizes that she doesn't want to marry Lanny because he will ignore her in life the way he ignored her at the dance, and she doesn't want to be left home to scrub floors while her husband goes out.



In college, Mira's suspicion that boys have more freedom grows into a fear of losing what little freedom she does have. She shies away from relationships and physical intimacy, afraid of becoming pregnant. However, due to her independent spirit, the other students assume she is promiscuous. One night after drinking and dancing, Mira is nearly gang raped by some of her friends, further confirming her every fear.

Angry that women need to be protected from men, she becomes introverted. “It was because the boys were free that they ruled the world. They went about on motorcycles, they even had their own cars, they went out alone at night, and their bodies were free and clean and clear and their minds were their own, and she hated them."

Eventually some friends introduce her to Norm, a medical student who accepts her reluctance towards sex. Tired of being hounded by men as long as she's single, she agrees to Norm's marriage proposal. However, it brings every loss of freedom that she feared. She must drop out of college to take menial jobs to support him as he attends medical school. Because he won't teach her to drive, she has to rely on friends to take her grocery shopping. And when she becomes pregnant, her dependence is set in stone.



As the years progress, the couple have two sons. Mira's life is a mindless, lonely cycle of household chores and childcare. The bright spot in her life are three neighborhood women named Adele, Natalie, and Bliss. The group is united in marriage and motherhood and thus, they form a close friendship. They take turns throwing dinner parties, events which include their husbands, and all the couples enjoy themselves.

Gradually it becomes apparent during these dinner parties that a great deal of flirting is happening between the couples. Natalie accuses Mira of having an affair with her husband, but Mira is able to refute the claim and maintain their friendship. The effort later seems ironic when it is revealed that both Natalie and Bliss are having an affair with Adele's husband. The suspicion and jealousy ruin the group's friendship.

Mira and Norm soon move to a small town named Beau Reve, but life progresses in much the same way for Mira. Norm is usually absent, either working at the hospital or spending time at his mother's house where he can avoid his sons. Their marriage becomes increasingly strained, and she finds herself home alone scrubbing floors, just as she always feared.



Fortunately for Mira, she is able to make friends with fellow housewives in this neighborhood as well, and so she enjoys a new group of companions in Lily, Samantha, and Martha. However, in all their lives, it becomes more and more apparent that men will always have the upper hand. Samantha's husband leaves her, and she is later evicted from her house. Lily has a mental breakdown as a result of her son's rebelliousness. Martha has an affair with a married man who has recently gotten his wife pregnant.

Eventually their marriage can hold no longer, and Norm files for divorce. He quickly remarries, leading to suspicions that he has been having an affair. With the loss of her main purpose in life, Mira becomes emotionally adrift and tries to commit suicide. Martha is able to intervene and helps Mira get back on her feet. Later, when Martha tries to commit suicide herself due to her own divorce, Mira does the same for her.

Following the advice of Martha and Norm, Mira attends Harvard University during the height of the Women's Liberation movement. There she meets Val, a divorcee and radical feminist, and several other divorced women, and she learns to express her lifelong fears and discontent about the role of women in society. She also meets Ben, whom she takes as a lover and for the first time, learns sexual satisfaction.



While at school, Val's daughter Chris is raped, and Val states one of the novel's most infamous lines: "Whatever they may be in public life, whatever their relationships with men, in their relationships with women, all men are rapists, and that's all they are. They rape us with their eyes, their laws, and their codes." Val is later shot at the rapist's trial as a protest becomes violent.

Mira breaks up with Ben when she learns that he expects her to return home with him to be a housewife and have his children. The novel ends by saying that Ben is married to his secretary, and the couple have two children, while Mira is single and working at a community college.