The Second Sex Essay Questions

What does de Beauvoir mean when she refers to the importance of “values” in shaping society and woman’s place within it?

de Beauvoir criticizes a number of theories (biological, psychoanalytic, historical) for ignoring the importance of values in shaping certain beliefs and systems. For example, biology is not enough to explain the difference between the sexes, because it cannot explain why we believe that women’s relative physical weakness makes them inferior to men in every other sphere of life, as well. Psychoanalysts believe that humans have certain “drives” that affect their behavior, but they do not explain where these drives come from. de Beauvoir believes that our system of values helps to explain the gaps in these other theories. It is because humans value finding meaning and creating a purpose that they assign hierarchies to the sexes in the first place; men want to assert their own purpose by declaring that women are inferior to them. Throughout the book, de Beauvoir will reference the many ways in which our values affect how we think of men versus women.

How does de Beauvoir refute the statement that women have never contributed “anything grand” throughout history?

de Beauvoir points out that anti-feminists who make this argument also tend to make the contradictory argument that historical circumstances have not prevented some women from being great. She also argues more fundamentally that men have written women’s history. Since they have controlled these narratives, they have decided both what is “grand” and what women are allowed to contribute. Of course, in such circumstances, women were held back from achieving their potential. It is unfair to assume, however, that they cannot contribute anything moving forward, if these narratives are changed.

How does de Beauvoir redefine the Oedipus complex, in context of her section on myths?

She refutes the idea that it is simply a struggle between instincts versus social norms. Instead, she believes it is tied to an internal conflict that relates to the ways in which men have constructed myths about women. More specifically, an infant’s attachment to its mother is symbolic of its attachment to Life itself. However, as it grows up, it rejects the sense of abandonment necessary to go from a single attachment to being part of the Whole. As a child becomes more individualized, he becomes more aware of his mother as a sexual being and is disgusted by this awareness because it reminds him of his own birth and mortality.

How does de Beauvoir explain homosexuality, and how might this be regarded today?

de Beauvoir fundamentally believes homosexuality is a choice. She connects lesbianism to the repression of women, and argues that certain women choose to be lesbians in order to seek greater equality or freedom. Today, feminists would most likely look down on this as a simplistic conception of homosexuality. While de Beauvoir does speak sympathetically about homosexuals and does not believe them to represent an inferior or superior form of sexuality, she does make certain assumptions about what motivates sexuality that would seem problematic today.

What kind of dilemma does de Beauvoir believe faces older women?

According to de Beauvoir, older women gain more freedom through their advanced age, but are unable to exercise it because they are no longer young. She claims that most women do not come to terms with their sexuality until they are old enough that most men are no longer sexually interested in them. Once they reach an age at which their children and husbands are no longer dependent on them, they no longer have the mental or physical strength to reach their full productive potential. After a lifetime spent serving men, women do not have many options for what to do with their free time and old age because they have not developed any other skills.

Why does de Beauvoir believe marriage is still so flawed in her time?

de Beauvoir believes marriage still retains many oppressive traditions. For example, it is still an institution in which a woman is given protection and economic benefits in exchange for serving her husband and devoting her life to her home. It is still more beneficial for women to get married than to try to start their own careers. Inherently, marriage remains unequal because women are still unequal in all of society. Given this inequality, men and women do not relate in any real or honest way. Instead, they are both suppressing their real needs and desires in order to make the institution of marriage work.

How does de Beauvoir characterize women in general, and why are these characteristics largely negative?

de Beauvoir acknowledges that women tend to be argumentative, cautious, immoral, selfish, and deceptive. However, she acknowledges this only after analyzing how different societal positions shape women to react in certain ways. For example, marriage weakens women, motherhood can make them ambivalent, and their social relations can lead them to be self-absorbed. de Beauvoir believes these characteristics are negative because women’s positions in society are so negative. Women do not act in these ways because they are genetically predisposed to have weaker characters, but rather because they are conditioned to react like this by society.

What are the different ways in which women tend to immerse themselves in unhealthy obsessions, and why do they do this?

According to de Beauvoir, some women respond to their situation by becoming narcissists, while others absorb themselves in love affairs and still others devote themselves to mysticism. She believes that all three of these fixations are responses to the limitations placed on women in society. Because women cannot focus on an occupation or anything creative, they more easily become obsessed with themselves, their lovers, or their religion. These three reactions are also connected: a narcissist demands a certain type of attention from a lover, and a mystic replaces a male lover with a God.

What are some of the central dilemmas facing the “independent woman” in de Beauvoir’s time?

Although de Beauvoir acknowledges that society has made progress in affording women greater rights, she believes that many challenges remain. Traditions regarding marriage and division of labor between men and women continue to mean that women have a greater burden when it comes to splitting their time between work and family. It remains more beneficial for women to settle into marriage rather than attempt to remain economically independent. Moreover, reproductive rights are still imperfect, meaning that motherhood is a burden that continues to disproportionately fall on women. Overall, women still face certain setbacks as a result of old beliefs and values that remain pervasive in society.

How does de Beauvoir respond to those who believe that granting women greater equality means losing the “spice” of life?

Certain antifeminists claim that society will suffer if women are granted equality because gender relations will become more boring and the “feminine charm” women are known for will be lost. de Beauvoir points out that this attitude represents nostalgia and resistance to change in general. In actuality, she argues that these changes would benefit all of society. Men and women can only conduct healthy and beneficial love affairs if they are on equal standing. Traditional gender norms can also be just as destructive to men’s happiness as they are to women’s. Contrary to these critics, de Beauvoir believes that greater equality would be better for everyone.