Final answer:
Betty Friedan wrote 'The Feminine Mystique' in 1963, a book that highlighted the dissatisfaction of housewives in the 1950s and ignited the Second Wave Feminism movement (d). Her work challenged the notion of women being naturally content with domestic life and spurred significant feminist activism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The writer who believed that many housewives were dissatisfied with their lives and wrote about the suffocation of 1950s women in the book The Feminine Mystique was Betty Friedan. She published the book in 1963, bringing light to the widespread discontent among women who felt trapped in the role of homemaker, and propelled what became known as the Second Wave Feminism. Friedan's work profoundly challenged the idea that women were naturally content with a life dedicated solely to domestic responsibilities.
The influence of The Feminine Mystique was substantial as it dispelled the myth that all women aspired only to be happy homemakers and encouraged them to seek new opportunities beyond traditional gender roles. Betty Friedan's insights were based on her personal experiences and further research, which included surveys from her fellow Smith College alumni. Her writings and later formation of the National Organization for Women played critical roles in advancing the feminist movement of the 1960s and beyond.