The novelist Ira Levin can claim credit for two novels -- the other being Rosemary's Baby -- that were the basis of classic horror/sci-fi films of the '60's and '70's. With Stepford, Levin tunes in on many of the issues of the day -- urban flight to the suburbs, feminism, and the pressures of conformity -- without in any way making it an "issues" novel -- it's been called a "satirical thriller," and that probably comes as close as any other phrase to describing his subtle yet sardonic portrait of an independent woman in a suburb filled with women who don't just act robotically, but are in fact robots. built deep in the bowels of the mysterious "Men's Club."
The fascination with the idea of human automata or robots goes back to the earliest days of modern technology. In the early 1800's, Henri Maillardet built astonishing automata, including one which could write poetry and draw. This figure, amazingly, was found in a state of disrepair after having been damaged in a fire; on its being restored and wound up, it made a number of drawings, including one one under which it wrote "Ecrit par L'Automate de Maillardet" -- Written by the Automaton of Maillardet -- in a sense, it identified itself.
The quest in more modern times has been to create a robot which is as similar in its outward capabilities as a human being, and yet most of its fictional and film incarnations have been hostile rather than kind: cyborgs such as the Terminator, organic humanoids such as the Replicants in Ridley Scott's Bladerunner, or the Borg of Star Trek, whose famous taglines are "resistance is futile," and "you will be assimilated." Friendly robots have not fared so well; the best, such as Robin Williams' Bicentennial Man, have been vaguely pathetic in their never-ending quest to reach a humanity that is denied them.
Levin's genius -- and the genius of the 1974 film version, starring Katharine Ross -- to imagine robots who are nothing if not built to please -- men, that is -- but whose ultimate significance to the women they replace is a total loss of identity, followed by a death that will never be reported in the Stepford Chronicle. They're entirely technological, but in other respects much like their organic counterparts in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
There are a few interesting differences between the book and the film, most significantly its ending, a fade-to-black that suggests that the knife goes in a rather different place. The book also introduces a black couple new to Stepford, Ruthanne (a children's book author) and her husband, Royal. It's a feint -- sexism trumps race, and while Ruthanne is useful to the book's last pages (it's through her eyes that we see Joanna's replacement), there's a strong implication that she, too, will soon be Stepfordized.
As an aside, the novel explicitly mentions the urban legend about the Abraham Lincoln animatronic (designed by Disney engineers for the 1964 World's Fair) going 'crazy.' It didn't, but a frequently posted online video shows that it had other, equally bizarre, troubles. The adventuresome might also check out the TV sequels, Revenge of the Stepford Wives and The Stepford Children -- for even more animatronic weirdness.
BONUS: Here are some more details on the film's reception, including an article about the reaction to the film from a group of leading feminists of the day.
This book freaked me out... it was very well written, very tight and compact. This book should be read and discussed with others. The book is really about men's desires, or Levin's interpretation of them. That they would be willing to sacrifice their wife's very identity, her being, to make her a mindless barbie that did what they pleased. The men in this book are truly horrifying beings... but even more frightening is that this is a doubt shared by all women, across the globe and it still very prevalent today. From a young age we are taught to doubt ourselves, our physical appearance, our mind, our talent, the love of others. I know women with genius IQ's who act like idiots because that is what men want from them. Things have changed a lot since this book was written. But they haven’t changed as much as many would like. There are still many men who are terrified at the idea of female power in any form. It’s frequent, it’s pervasive and it is scary.
ReplyDeleteBrian Gilbert
DeleteWhile I agree their are men like that their are I think many men who are just as much slaves to their roles as woman. I think the reality is power is the true driver of inequity and roles. I think the book while definitely doing a good job in portraying the toxicity of certain men's desires I also think it illuminates without really meaning too the shallow nature of how many dialogues about such desires leaves out the reality of how many men have as little interest or desire to live in those roles as woman do. The larger construct of power dynamics and the replicating nature of power roles and the corrupting nature of power is ignored in the book in favor of a shallow perspective on men being one thing and woman another. the true value I think is not Joanna's reality as a woman as much as her role as a questioner of the toxic norm. Like her friend in the book who defies the norms of being a woman is that judgment born out by men or by other woman themselves and what responsibility rests with such woman. Men are no more all one thing then woman are. So what is the answer? The book gives none. Rather is simply brings it back to a stasis of time were the "normal" grinds on and what happens to Joanna is an open question. I prefer books that focus more on the individual nature of humans versus supporting and persisting in the roles as written. I think it comes down to power itself and its corrupting influence whether its the power within a home, community, nation or species. True equality is a messy thing and conformity itself like in the book abhors a mess!
Tess Collins
DeleteSilvia, I found it really interesting that this novel prodded you to think not only about men's desires, but also about the lengths that women are willing to go to in order to meet them. One of the characteristics of the robotic Stepford wives that the men employ to ensure anonymity is that they are all content with their positions and find satisfaction in providing for their husbands. While we can assume by examining Joanna's behavior that the women in this novel would likely not be okay with becoming household sex slaves for their husbands, it is worthy to note that there are many cases where women have been socialized to accept lesser treatment and an uneven distribution of household labor in exchange for male attention.
Brian Gilbert
DeleteToo add to that there are I think some money how hide behind the public face of a man in order to gain power behind the protection of being a woman in the worst sense as a weak creature needing protection. You see this often in the Evangelical Christian community. Not to see or belittle the woman in such a environment who are real victims of abuse. But to say that gender roles and dynamics are far more complex then the book makes them out to be. I have met and know many woman who are content as housewives and mothers and I think there is as much conceit in feminist's thinking they must be brainwashed as more "traditional" woman thinking a feminist is brainwashed in a different way. Humans thrive on extremes and creating a "other" to add meaning to their life. An interesting take on this is this article about Afghanistan; https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/09/13/the-other-afghan-women While the Taliban are certainly a vile organization this article shows how complex human interactions especially on the level of war and foreign affairs.
I thought this book did a good job depicting societal issues that may not be as prevalent today but that still exist nonetheless. I honestly can’t think of a better way to illustrate the wives who succumbed to conformity other than making them robots and ultimately non-human. For me it made things feel like the Stepford wife’s were going against human nature by losing their identities in a world/system designed by men. The time in which this novel was published also just speaks volumes. It reminded me of the suffragettes and the time when feminists like Betty Friedan also wrote about similar topics. Examples like the Feminine Mystique ultimately make it a point to argue that females weren’t just created for sexual intimacy, bearing children, and being stay at home wives/moms. I particularly love how this novel follows a woman who stands out and speaks up. Especially because that’s all it takes for others to do the same and provoke systemic change that future generations can reap benefits from as in today. Although there continues to certainly be room for improvement in the realm of equality, this book was a pleasant reminder to appreciate how far we’ve come as a society.
ReplyDeleteBrian Gilbert
DeleteYenelsy I would be curious about your thoughts on the question of the role of men as individuals within the system you refer to as being created by men, While I certainly agree it was created by men by and large I think one question the film and book I feel ignored was the reality that many men are as much trapped in their roles as woman or at least were at the time the book and movie were released. I think the great question that is being really brought to light now is the question of the value of all gender roles and how woman can certainly be the bread winner as it were just as much as some men make batter care giver and child caregivers. All roles have in them some kind of power and identity and often that fact explains why in many cases people in roles fight to keep them even in the face of better options (a subjective difference often I think). For me the age of the book and the movie shows in that I would think and hope a remake of quality would expand perhaps into a "Stepford Roles" and how true gender freedom transcends gender outside of the realm of biology and through technology perhaps even beyond biology itself. As a science nerd I have read about the very real future were a human child could be created form the fertilized egg through to birth in a artificial womb and such an egg could be created with shared genetic material from two men, two woman rathe then the traditional way. What would such technology if made reality and commonplace mean for humanity? Human nature is in so many ways influenced by environment and that environment has changed so much. Are we, will we ever evolve into a post gender world were being human is all. And the roles are eliminated of husband, wife, father mother based solely on reproductive equipment and chromosomes?
ReplyDeleteThis book was a little strange and is definitely not something I would have just picked up on my own. I will say that it definitely brings up the issue of women being subservient to their families in a weird but cool way. I think I have seen a trailer to an older movie that was based on this book. I never really can handle reading any sort of book that involves horror for some reason but I think this book really has a good balance of humor and horror. This family believes that this little town in Connecticut is an ideal place to raise a family even though Joanna is secretly having a hard time leaving her life behind and coming to terms with becoming a housewife. My favorite part is when Joanna begins to realize that these ladies in her new neighborhood have actually had their own lives before. Joana does some deep digging on the ladies of the neighborhood when trying to create a club and figures out that they were once active in the political affairs of their community at one point. I like this part because Joanna realizes something is making these women basically turn into sheep and it begins to dwell on her.
I agree that I would not have normally voluntarily read this book. However, now that I have had to read it I am glad I did. I also enjoyed the in depth concept about women. It made me think about the women roles in society through out generations.
DeleteBrian Gilbert -
ReplyDeleteI think the interesting thing about both the Movie and the Book is the idea of how we give up so much to roles that often gain a life of their own. And within that life defy logic in relation to what we allow them to do to us and others. Many films and books challenge and ask that question of why do we allow such conformity to role when it so obviously is harmful. Joanna as many of the protagonists in such films becomes the "other" questioning what for the rest of her peers just is. One recent series that explores the idea of the "perfect" family and life is "Wandavision" which I think interestingly explores the question from the perspective of how often roles such as "wife", "mother" become a holding pattern to avoid dealing with larger traumas. In that series the case being the death of Wanda's brother and husband. One interesting theme that runs through the dynamic of the role of woman in society is the dichotomy of their subservient role yet the power even within that role they wield. Call it soft power in some cases. This I think explains the fact that their are many woman who are anti-feminist's. I enjoyed both the book and the movie yet also feel like they simplify a complex issue and rely too much on the trope of male/female roles rather then a greater exploration of what it means to be human within the roles society creates for you and what can be done to reduce or merge the roles. I think about how often in my own life such roles fit different genders at different times and how often peoples discomfort with the role changes are unthinking adherence to a ideal that never really worked the way it was supposed too and never can. From a filmmakers perspective or authors it is easy to tie such dilemmas up in a neat little package. But like many themes I prefer a more expansive approach to the question of gender, class and role. I find the trope at the end of the film, the cliffhanger as it were to be typical of movies in that it leaves it wide open for a sequel(s). The male roles especially are one dimensional and in many ways I see the film and the movie less an indictment of men then a indictment of the roles we are all shoehorned into. I wonder if Walter even has a choice but to accept his new "wife" or if he too is just a cog in the machine of a society predicated on such rigid roles.
ReplyDeleteWell, honestly, I have to say I didn't like this book at all. I thought the book was bizarre and just not something I would read on my own time. I am amazed at the skill of writing. He's one of those authors that doesn't pepper his novel with the unnecessary, and it's written but not in a juvenile way. It's easy to follow the story with no distractions but riveting enough to keep you interested. However, I would never read it in my free time. I was breathless with fear and tension while reading this novel. This book hit a nerve in me. First, I want to mention that based on the book, The Stepford wife is defined as a woman who subordinates her life purpose to the desires of her husband and children. It's about men's desires and how they would be willing to sacrifice their wife's identity, her physical body, to make her a mindless barbie doll that did what they pleased. The men in this book are horrifying, in my honest opinion. But what's even more frightening is that this is a doubt shared by all women across the globe. From a young age, we are taught to doubt ourselves, our physical appearance, our mind, our talent, the love of others. I do believe the book was very well written and has a lot of meaning. I think it's disgusting that men would/will sacrifice their wife's identity/body to be someone completely different. I think it's wholly abused.
I mean I don't think it's any surprise that I, like many others didn't quite enjoy this book. As the story unfolds, Joanna is persuaded that the men's club is poisoning or brainwashing the women of Stepford into submission. She goes to the library to learn more about them and discovers that some of them were once feminist activists and successful businesswomen. What sucks is that Bobbie, Joanna's friend, too eventually becomes a passive housewife who has lost interest in her prior activities.
ReplyDeleteAs the Professor said, the book has a very chilling ending to it, which is ironically very fitting to the Halloween season. As an avid fan of creepy/horror genres I personally couldn't help but but thrill at the subtle eerie tone of the shopping cart scene. The bright pastel colors of the store juxtaposed the tone perfectly (And plus I have a soft spot for vintage aesthetics/media). If it wasn't alreadly obvious, I enjoyed the film way more than I did the book.
One of the topics that were discussed in the book and are still prominent today, was feminism. Although the book discussed a lot of the aspects of the 60s and 70s that are still relevant, feminism stood out the most to me. Unfortunately, many men in that time and before most likely enjoyed the concept of women turning into robots that did the household duties. The women in the book were in fact like "living dolls". The author does not sugarcoat anything in the book. The writings and storytellings are abrupt to the point no matter how gruesome or brutal it may come across. I believe this book should be read by everyone as a well to create a well developed concept and opinion about society.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that feminism is what stood out to me, too. Right from the bat, the story introduces us to potential feminism within Joanna. It is interesting to see a male author take on such a heavy topic but in such an interesting, and very disturbing way. The ending was most definitely unsettling. The theme regarding technology is also intriguing. The idea that once the robotics were good enough, patriarchal organizations would replace their human wives with robots is an engrossing satire.
DeleteTess Collins
ReplyDeleteFast-paced and easy to read, I found “The Stepford Wives” to provide some compelling commentary on the role that women have been constrained to in the past and still presently. The story takes place in the town of Stepford, where the protagonist Joanna, her husband, Walter, and their two children have just moved. Leaving behind the diverse and bustling city Joanna previously resided in and coming to the sleepy town of Stepford is a tremendous culture shift for Joanna. Immediately, she is puzzled by why every Stepford wife is so consumed by their household responsibilities, eager to please their husbands, and disinterested in having any sort of social life or leadership position in society. “That’s what they all were, all the Stepford wives: actresses in commercials, pleased with detergents and floor wax, with cleansers, shampoos, and deodorants. Pretty actresses, big in the bosom but small in the talent, playing suburban housewives unconvincingly, too nicey-nice to be real.” (pg. 43) As the story unfolds and Joanna eventually finds companionship in a like-minded woman named Bobbie, it becomes clear that these women have not always been so impeccably dull and that there must be some reason for their socialized behavior.
The answer to this paradox turns out to be quite interesting. The men in Stepford have formed an association and are replacing their wives with audioanimatronics whose sole purpose are to provide for the household and their husband’s sexual desires. Joanna comes to this conclusion at the end of the story and it is too late for her to save herself. Moreover, the author Ira Levin never explicitly states the men’s motives for replacing the women with robots, which leaves the reader to ponder at this. Is Levin alluding to the fact that men tend to dehumanize women and only view them as instruments for their pleasure? Is he perhaps suggesting that no amount of modern thinking can convince men that women belong in positions of leadership? Or is he simply creating satire about the feminist movement and the lack of progress that has been made?
I think this book poses a number of questions about what feminism truly means and the lengths that men will go to preserve the patriarchy and their oppressive role in society. While I found the general themes to be thought-provoking and interesting, I cannot say that I found the story to be super entertaining. It was a very quick read and therefore many of the characters were not fully developed and the plot left something to be desired. However, I do believe that this was Ira Levin’s intention. His novel was meant to be more thematic and less content heavy.
Marilyn Monroy
ReplyDeleteThis novel was absolutely mind blowing! I really enjoyed reading this novel than the other two. However the film was okay the read was much better. The writing in the novel was captivating and well detailed I dove right into the story and could not put the book down. I loved the couple Joanna and Walter and how they were both against sexism until he joined the "men's association". I was getting so upset reading the novel and how truly women back in the day were suppose to be housewives and have no opinion. the author did a really good job addressing the issue of sexism. I was so upset when bobby turned and Joanna at the end but it was definitely intense ending.
BreAna Durand
ReplyDeleteI thought that The Stepford Wives was a well written book. The author did a wonderful job at painting a picture in the reader’s mind. I definitely preferred the book to the movie, which is usually the case for me. Overall, the book made me feel upset. It seems to dehumanize woman, and it was hard for me to comprehend why the woman were so interested to please their husband. This book provides a different look into feminism. It does not hide any aspect and shows the bad no matter how bad it is. I personally have never heard about this book before this class, and I think that this book should be read more often.
Another story I'd never seen nor read, and another interesting one at that! I found the book to be a nice read, with a lot of intrigue and character building. As for the movie, it was good, but I found the most lacking thing to be getting to know the main people. It's an issue I find with a lot of books to movies, in that we really don't get to know Joanna or Walter in the movie. Joanna is just, dull, and lacks a lot of the wit that gave her life in the book. Walter also just seems to always be disgruntled in the movie to a degree, and we don't get the same sense that he's truly on Joanna's side, at least in the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be hard to discuss the story in both without talking about the difference in endings. The book felt much more, mysterious and vague in the end. While I can appreciate leaving things to ones imagination, this is the main area where I enjoyed the movie more. It gave the story a finality, and more intrigue than I felt the book did. I can honestly say I enjoyed both the book and the movie, for very different reasons.
Also, Professor, after reading your blog post for this, and your mention of the Borg in Star Trek and how most robot type characters are evil in some way, I can't help but to mention Lt. Cmmdr. Data, who much like Bicentennial man yearns to learn as much about, and maybe someday become human. A very stark contrast the Borg! :-)
Karina Nunez
ReplyDeleteThe book was a much better read than the film. There were parts that were in the book but not in the movie which of course is expected as its common to happen with every film made from a book. I enjoyed the story line and the mystery it brought. The entire time I was reading the story I was drawn in and couldn't put the book down from wanting to know what was the fate of Joanna. I was completely terrified for her. she tried to find other woman in the community that would share the same common interest she does but over time she noticed the difference in all the women behavior. Everything was just too perfect in Stepford. This book is a great read and a classic. I wasn't very fond of the ending but the author did a great job at captivating the story line.
Shannon Duckworth
ReplyDeleteI personally have never heard of this book or movie before. I really enjoyed them both. It is definitely not something I'd pick out on my own, it is a strange concept but the author did a great job with his writing. This book is definitely a scary idea. I personally liked the movie better. I liked seeing the book come to life and I think the acting was good. When Bobbie started "glitching" I was not a fan, I found it very creepy. Throughout the book I was very curious to see if Joanna would escape, or become one of the perfect women. I did not like how the men were, especially the husband. Overall, I enjoyed reading and watching this.
Your comment brought up something a friend and I have debated often which is the impossibility of creating a truly inhuman character in fiction. He continues to try and create such specifically in relation to an alien species. But I argue that its impossible and no matter who inhuman something seems it still is in fact human. Behind a mask perhaps. But still. And I think movies such as this or books illuminate the facts that we try so hard to avoid facing which is that humanity in the end is all we know. And in the darkest of evil or the brightest of good equally resides who we are. In fact the root I think of much evil is denial of this fact. And in relation to the books we have read and movies we have watched much of it is burying that fact or trying to illuminate it. One of my greatest frustrations in life that is I think changing in a way it has never done in the history of our species is the illumination of the concept of a post gender world. Books like this one neatly lay blame exclusively on men which while convenient is simplistic and wrong. A book that deals with this well is Ammonite by Nicola Griffith which deals with what a world without men would look like. And how the roles we tend to assign largely to males would be and are found among females and in such a world all the same roles, conceits, good and bad traits would be filled by woman. She was frustrated by what she saw as the trend in feminist fiction were such a world was either utopia or a complete mess. Instead of just like the real world complex and messy. I highly recommend it to anyone reading this post!
DeleteOlivia Bradstreet
ReplyDeleteAgain, I never read nor heard of The Stepford Wives until now. After reading it, I feel this is a book more people should read and discuss. I really enjoyed this book over the others we’ve read so far. I feel this book was well written and the author does a great job showing sexism and showing another view on feminism in a way where readers are captivated throughout and demonstrates how women’s roles in society have changed.
While reading the book I had mixed emotions. First was fear, because Iike the professor said, almost everyone has the fear of being replaced by a doppelganger, myself included. Not only that, but the fact that all these women spend their lives meeting the desires of their husbands and children is insane. This book was written during a time when women were getting more independent, so it made me mad that men were still trying to make women submissive and to dedicate their lives to them. Another emotion I had was anger. The fact that there was a men’s association dedicated to brainwash women into submission, shows how the desires of some men can be horrifying and disgusting.
Nevertheless, this book was eye opening and reminded me of how far feminism and women’s independency has come throughout the generations.
- Lindsay Nadeau
ReplyDeleteThe Stepford Wives is another book I have never heard of before this class. From a woman's point of view, Joanna Eberhart seems a bit on the crazy side. I can see where she is coming from where she believes that these females are being controlled by their husbands and have become housewife robots. This even happens now a days. There are plenty of relationships and marriages where the man "wears the pants" and the woman unfortunately is stuck as a housewife, some don't mind this but others definitely are not happy. I am only 23 years old and I have already seen in some relationships around me that the female revolves everything around their significant other without questions asked. Sometimes I think this can be because the female lacks motivation and sees this as an easy life to stay at home and have the husband work and provide for the family. But, in my opinion I think females should always be free to do what they want and have whatever job they desire even if it does not make enough money to provide for the family. I know that back in the older generations there were limited opportunities for females.
When an individual woman embraces lived experience that does not conform to this myth she is considered by patriarchal society to be less of a woman. The 1975 film The Stepford Wives provides a perfect example of these concepts. In the film, the main character, Joanna, refuses to conform to her husband and his male friends’ ideas of femininity. The Stepford Wives provides a perfect illustration of Beauvoir’s concept of the Eternal Feminine and how it has shaped society. The men have all the power in town and they decide what is appropriate feminine behavior. When their wives fail to adhere to these standards the men feel entitled to literally kill them and replace them with house-cleaning sex-fanatic robots, quite clearly showing that the men of Stepford wholeheartedly embrace the myth of the Eternal Feminine and that the women of Stepford have no say over how the men are defining their Femininity.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of The Stepford Wives book before, however I feel as if I have heard of the Stepford wives movie before. The book was not as bad as I originally thought it was going to be. I definitely enjoyed the movie more. I was not a huge fan of some of the characteristics of the characters throughout the movie, but I think overall I really enjoyed the movie and book.
ReplyDeleteSabrina Soler
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the film The Stepford Wives. I liked how the movie shined a light on feminism. This was unusual for the time seeing as though the movie was released in 1975, when women were still expected to care for the home and the children. I enjoyed seeing Joanna stand up for herself and not conform to the social norms.
Dylan Gagnon
ReplyDeleteWHAT A CREEPY BOOK, I have never read anything even close to this, it feels like one of those reads that's supposed to make it hard for you to sleep. It is so oddly dystopian, yet it is utopian for the males of Stepford. It was such a bizarre form of showing character development for Joanna's husband as well, he starts off in favor of her and her desires but then turns entirely selfish and starts to go downhill. You would've thought with him being married to a feminist's that he would've been stronger willed but it seems not. It makes you really question what sort of brainwashed meetings the men of Stepford were having, and how he would loose all attachment to his wives and the kids and more interested in the most basic male interests like football. I believe the author did a very good job of showing toxic masculinity's mindset well before it was even given a term. Its as if Ira showed the most extreme fear for women during that time period. I had never heard of this book before this course and it's strange that school curricula never mentioned it especially with the movement towards equality. It may not of been discussed as it is a read for a more mature audience. Overall, a very creepy book that I have an immense love hate relationship with.