Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger

Award-winning feminist thinker and activist Chemaly's thought-provoking book, based on personal interviews and sociology research, exposes cultural perceptions and stereotypes of the melodramatic, angry woman. Chemaly argues that women are socialized from a young age to "be likeable" and to repress their anger. Because anger, aggression, and assertiveness are linked as one behavior in women and young girls, repression has deleterious consequences on their lives in a wide range of areas. The author documents in great detail what causes women to experience anger—male violence, structural discrimination, daily slights and marginalization, threats to abortion rights, and the overwhelming responsibilities of mothering and caregiving. Such analysis offers a timely, politically charged account of what it means to be an American woman today. The author recaps the development of the Me Too movement, and also explains how the Trump presidency has exacerbated women's anger and propelled women to new levels of activism.