The Second Sex

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The Second Sex

Vintage Reissue edition (1989)
Author Simone de Beauvoir
Country France
Language French
Genre(s) Philosophical
Feminist
Publication date 1949
Media type Hardback
Softback
Pages 800
ISBN ISBN 0-679-72451-6

The Second Sex (French: Le Deuxième Sexe, 1949) is one of the best known works of the French existentialist Simone de Beauvoir. It is a work on the treatment of women throughout history and often regarded as a major feminist work. In it she argues that women throughout history have been defined as the "other" sex, an aberration from the "normal" male sex.[1] Beauvoir wrote the book after attempting to write about herself. The first thing she wrote was that she was a woman, but she realized that she needed to define what a woman was, which became the intent of the book.

Judith Butler says that de Beauvoir's formulation that "One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman",[2] distinguishes the terms 'sex' and 'gender'. Butler says that the book suggests that 'gender' is an aspect of identity which is "gradually acquired". Butler sees The Second Sex as potentially providing a radical understanding of gender.[3]

Toril Moi points out that the current English translations of The Second Sex are poor.[4] The publication rights to the book are owned by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc and according to Moi although the publishers are aware of the problems with the English text they insist that there really is no need for a new translation.[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ de Beauvoir, Simone, Force of Circumstances translated by Richard Howard (Penguin, 1968)
  2. ^ de Beauvoir, Simone The Second Sex(Vintage Books, 1973), p. 301
  3. ^ Butler, Judith, 'Sex and Gender in Simone de Beauvoir's Second Sex' in Yale French Studies, No. 72 (1986), pp. 35-49.
  4. ^ a b Moi, Toril, 'While we wait: The English translation of The Second Sex' in Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society vol. 27, no 4 (2002), pp. 1005–1035

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