Elaine Tyler May's Homeward Bound: American Families in the Cold War Era captures the underlying tensions that belie the portrait of the traditional American family from the '40s to the late '60s. In May's depiction, the family was upheld as a bastion of security and domestic bliss. Men were willing to sacrifice the autonomy and freedom of bachelorhood to assume the responsibility of being the primary breadwinner of a family. Concomitantly, women gave up their pursuits in education and careers to take on the domestic responsibilities of wife and mother (May 23). However, in her book, May highlights the individual tragedies of these nuclear families that appeared to have everything any family could have wanted. The seething discontent of the individuals in these families would ultimately lead to the disintegration of traditional family units (May 201-2). In this paper, May's presentation of her powerful arguments is analyzed. In addition, the shortcomings of the book will also be examined.
Through her perceptive overview of the social and historical events from the '30s to the '60s, May illustrates the impact of these developments on the segregation of gender roles and the institution of marriage. She demonstrates convincingly how the media, the government and the society seemingly conspired to promote the mentality that men should advance their careers while women should relegate themselves to a domestic existence. May's examination of the wartime period testifies to the tremendous influence of these social forces in shaping the gender roles in American society. During World War II, women entered the workforce and asserted their ability to function in male-dominated jobs and live their lives independently. However, wartime propaganda and films continued to spread the message that men who were fighting in the war were integral to the welfare of their families. After all, by fighting the war, they were protecting their families back ...