Content Warning: This section contains descriptions of sexual activity and psychological horror.

Joanna and Walter Eberhart move to Stepford, Connecticut with their two children, Pete and Kim. When they arrive, Joanna notices that the women in the town all seem to be obsessed with housework and rarely leave their homes. She is visited a few days after her family’s arrival by a “Welcome Wagon lady” (1), who asks Joanna about her family’s ages, history, and hobbies for a piece in the local paper. Joanna reluctantly answers, knowing that her reputation is important in such a small town. She tells the woman that she supports the Women’s Liberation Movement, as does Walter, and the woman is surprised to hear of a man supporting a feminist movement. Before she leaves, the woman assures Joanna she will love living here. Inside, Pete and Kim argue with one another, eventually resulting in Kim’s tears. Frustrated, Joanna tries to convince them to go play outside.

Joanna finds Walter doing the dishes and the children playing quietly. She asks Walter to join her outside, and he tells her that he plans to join the Men’s Association, a local organization that is involved in politics, charity, and other town affairs.