1. Simone de Beauvoir Student Edition
The Second Sex
Prepared by:
Stephen Tate and Jessica Simoes

2. Existentialism
Existentialism is defined by the slogan ____________________. This means:
1. _________________________________________ ___________________________________________.
2. _________________________________________ ___________________________________________.
3. _________________________________________ ___________________________________________.
4. _________________________________________ ___________________________________________.

3. The Other Explained _________________________________
_________________________________ _________________________________

4. The Second Sex Chapter X
Man asserts his freedom and transcendence through woman.
Motherlant: ___________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________
Lawrence: ____________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________

5. The Second Sex Chapter X
Claudel: ___________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Breton: _____________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
Stendhal: ___________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________

6. Can you provide a brief summary of each of the authors?

7. Discussion Question
Do you notice something paradoxical about the authors’ views of women?

8. Myth and Reality Chapter XI
In this chapter, _____________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

9. The Eternal Feminine
Definition: __________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

10. The Eternal Feminine
Do you have any objections?

11. Myth v. Recognition of Significance What is the difference
Myth v. Recognition of Significance What is the difference? What are some examples?

12. Mystère Féminin Advantages of the Myth of Feminine Mystery:
__________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Mystère Féminin
Question: Does de Beauvoir’s thought lend itself to Nietzschean perspectivism?

14. The Economic Substructure
Our reality is only proven through our actions, not our immanence. “Essence does not precede existence.” Sentiment alone is nothing.
Problem: Men are better situated to prove the reality of their sentiments because of their social and economic autonomy. Examples: _________ ____________________________________________________________________________

15. Utility of Myth (for men)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

16. Discussion Questions
Can you identify the myth of feminine mystery in modern society, if at all?
How does the idea that the myth of “the Other” arose from the upper-class relate to Mary Wollstonecraft.