The Second Sex Simon Beauvoir Summary

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Whether its liberal, radical, or social feminism, its clear society still hasn’t adequately answered “the woman question”. There have been many writers and theorist who have attempted to solve this societal issue—one of the best known is Simon Beauvoir’s piece “The Second Sex”. In this piece Beauvoir makes an argument that women are disproportionately intellectually behind men only because they have just now started to discover the world. Beauvoir believes a large portion of female oppression begins with the sexual dynamics between a man and a woman. Fellow feminist Nima Naghibi takes a different stance on what most stifles women’s development. Using Iran as her example, Naghibi shows how government harms women by not giving them a choice on whether to wear the hijab. Naghibi also seeks to correct misconceptions of anti-feminist Islam by pointing to the West and how their perceptions should not ascribe a definitive meaning to the hijab. Although Beauvoir and Naghibi address…show more content…
Beauvoir argues a woman is disadvantaged when it comes to love and sex. She states, “especially in the matter of love she abnegates herself instead of asserting herself” and then goes on to point out that this “tradition… is the deep-seeded reason for her mediocrity.” Beauvoir’s argument here is that women tend to give into men instead of demanding equality; they abnegate instead of asserting. She makes herself clear—women give up more (liberty) when it comes to sex and love. Beauvoir points out that even when a woman seduces a man, it is still perceived as the man conquering the woman while she is being taken. They feel as though they have given a special part of themselves away and it is for this reason Beauvoir believes women get attached to men more easily. These feelings—according to Beauvoir—are

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