Sexism and Power
The Stepford Wives highlights the stifling nature of sexist, male-dominated societies. The novel dramatizes the experience of living in such restrictive patriarchal systems by placing Joanna Eberhart—a strong-willed feminist—in the insular community of Stepford, where men replace their wives with robots designed to look pretty and serve their domestic (and presumably sexual) needs. The idea is that what these men really care about when it comes to marriage has nothing to do with who…
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Equality and Societal Change
In many ways, The Stepford Wives is about a community unwilling to embrace change. The novel takes place in the 1960s or the early 1970s—a period that was important in the struggle for gender equality, as organizations like the Women’s Liberation Movement challenged sexist cultural norms. When she first moves to Stepford, Joanna proudly talks about her involvement in the Women’s Liberation Movement, clearly already sensing that her interest in feminism will stand out in…
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Secrecy, Doubt, and Uncertainty
In The Stepford Wives, the secrecy surrounding what goes on in Stepford makes it possible for the town’s men to get away with their twisted schemes: nobody outside the town’s Men’s Association knows they have been turning their wives into subservient robots. This secrecy makes it that much harder for women like Joanna and Bobbie to protect themselves, even though they can clearly see that something is amiss in Stepford. The community at large…
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Female Ambition vs. Societal Expectations
The Stepford Wives examines the resistance that American society in the mid-20th century showed toward female ambition. Joanna is a semi-professional photographer, and though she certainly isn’t famous or celebrated for her work, she has had some success selling her pictures to well-known magazines. And yet, it’s very clear that her artistic career has been placed on the backburner and that she’s not so sure about moving from New York City to Stepford—she worries…
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