Alienation In The Fire Next Time

When people think of America, opportunity comes to mind. It is a place where any individual can work hard to get to the top. However, just like all countries, there are flaws and people are not treated with equal opportunity. Society looks at certain people and is criticized for being who they want to become and because of this, they question their own identity. They would rather fit in and be normal like everybody else. In the book, The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin, and, The Feminine Mystique, by Betty Friedan, they describe the alienation they are experiencing. Baldwin and Friedan both have been taught not to challenge anything that might disrupt the status quo.
The society that Baldwin and Friedan are exposed to is already set as soon as they enter it. For example, Baldwin says, “I had been well conditioned by the world in which I grew up, so I did not yet dare take the idea of becoming a writer seriously.” (Baldwin, 24). Baldwin feels alienated here because it seems the world
A college girl tells Friedan “If your husband is going to be an organization man, you can’t be too educated. The wife is awfully important for the husband’s career. You can’t be too interested in art, or something like that.” (Friedan, 177). This college student is emphasizing that women should not further their education and not be smarter than men. She also feels that women are alienated since most careers require higher education and the real careers are reserved and already taken by men. Moreover, she expresses that women should not get in a man’s way of success because society believes men are supposed to be more intelligent in everything besides being a housewife that is why she should not pursue a career that requires high education. This could break the abnormal image of women challenging men in their careers. However, if women want real careers and rise greater than a housewife, risk is