It is not long before the starry-eyed and blissful bride is jolted into the realization that for her marriage to grow into a success she must find a standard of values which will help her to understand what it means to be a woman, guide her in developing realistic expectations of married life, and make her aware of the depth of commitment she must make to marriage and family in order for them to work. The story of the feminist movement in this generation is the story of women's struggle to orient themselves within a framework of such values. Women have made a courageous attempt to define their femininity and their identity within marriage and within society. They have experimented with many different approaches, some radically opposed to each other. But, today, most women still find themselves searching.
Feminism desires to reevaluate the way society under stands femininity and womanhood.
However, after more than twenty years of grappling with the issue, contemporary feminism has not offered a viable system of values. In fact, even as feminism has grown into a major force, morality has declined. The very institution of marriage is being questioned, the birth rate has plummeted, and women continue to feel that society is using and abusing them. I was impressed with the women and felt they were more in touch with themselves than my con- temporaries. Marriage wasn't a burden to them, but an expression of who they were.