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“One is not born but becomes a woman” (de Beauvoir). Discuss
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"One is not born but becomes a woman" (de Beauvoir). Discuss In the 'Second Sex' one of de Beauvoir's main concerns is that 'one is not born but becomes a woman', this statement relates to the argument that existence precedes essence, the way in which females exist as 'women' is more important than the essence of the body (female). She appears to be arguing that your anatomy is not your destiny, 'women' are born female but are constructed into women, and she therefore asks the question of what actually is a woman? She continues on to explain what she believes a 'woman' is, how she is constructed and how to escape the situation. Initially she challenges the idea of the natural feminine when she claims that "if today femininity no longer exists, then it never exists" (de Beauvoir 1972:14). However does this statement mean that women do not exist, for...
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