Simone de Beauvoir begins the opening of Volume II in her book The Second Sex with the line “One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.” (de Beauvoir, 1949/2010, p. 283) In this line, she summarizes her viewpoint that femininity is a societal construct. By this, she means that it is not a biological, psychological, or more importantly, intellectual one, but that it is rather formed by society. Specifically, that an individual is qualified to subjectivity regardless of their gender and that the environment, which is the defining factor. She also emphasizes that a woman learns her role from society rather than being born into the role therefore. Specifically, according to her, the idea that women are inferior to men, that is that women are
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(de Beauvoir, 1949/2010) Especially, de Beauvoir explains that compared to man-woman “is the incidental, the inessential in front of the essential. He is the Subject; he is the Absolute. She is the Other.” (p. 6) She demonstrates various characteristics of the situation including how woman came to have such a place, the male superiority throughout history, while women have been the subordinate, how myths have had an impact on how ‘femininity’, which she resent, how situational forces shape ‘femininity’, and how woman reinforces her own dependency. By ‘femininity’ de Beauvoir means a woman's essence, criteria that a woman must meet according to society. Throughout the entire work, she criticizes the concept, “so not every female human being is necessarily a woman; she must take part in this mysterious and endangered reality known as femininity.” (de Beauvoir, 1949/2010, p. 3) Along with the idea of ‘femininity’, she most of all criticized the idea of the ‘eternal feminine’; the impossible ideal of a woman that traps her due to denying her individuality. De Beauvoir states that achieving such an ideal is impossible due to there also being contradictory representations of the myth and is therefore also illogical. This then leads to de Beauvoir’s famous statement and how
(de Beauvoir, 1949/2010) Especially, de Beauvoir explains that compared to man-woman “is the incidental, the inessential in front of the essential. He is the Subject; he is the Absolute. She is the Other.” (p. 6) She demonstrates various characteristics of the situation including how woman came to have such a place, the male superiority throughout history, while women have been the subordinate, how myths have had an impact on how ‘femininity’, which she resent, how situational forces shape ‘femininity’, and how woman reinforces her own dependency. By ‘femininity’ de Beauvoir means a woman's essence, criteria that a woman must meet according to society. Throughout the entire work, she criticizes the concept, “so not every female human being is necessarily a woman; she must take part in this mysterious and endangered reality known as femininity.” (de Beauvoir, 1949/2010, p. 3) Along with the idea of ‘femininity’, she most of all criticized the idea of the ‘eternal feminine’; the impossible ideal of a woman that traps her due to denying her individuality. De Beauvoir states that achieving such an ideal is impossible due to there also being contradictory representations of the myth and is therefore also illogical. This then leads to de Beauvoir’s famous statement and how