In contrast to many feminists who denounce Freud's views on women, Juliet Mitchell believes that Freud's analysis of the psychology of women contributes importantly to the understanding of the status of women in our patriarchal society. Without such understanding, she feels, it is not possible to challenge the social role of women effectively. And unlike feminists who claim that Freud believed women inferior, passive, and submissive, Mitchell repeatedly asserts that Freud was describing his observations of women and not offering a prescription for the role they should have in society.