The Second Sex

Infobox Book
name = The Second Sex
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Vintage Reissue edition (1989)
author = Simone de Beauvoir
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = France
language = French
series =
subject =
genre = Philosophical
Feminist
publisher =
release_date = 1949
english_release_date =
media_type = Hardback
Softback
pages = 800
isbn = ISBN 0-679-72451-6
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"The Second Sex" (French: "Le Deuxième Sexe", June 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 work of feminist literature. In it she argues that women throughout history have been defined as the "other" sex, an aberration from the "normal" male sex. de Beauvoir, Simone, "Force of Circumstances" translated by Richard Howard (Penguin, 1968)] 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", de Beauvoir, Simone "The Second Sex"(Vintage Books, 1973), p. 301] 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. Butler, Judith, 'Sex and Gender in Simone de Beauvoir's Second Sex' in "Yale French Studies", No. 72 (1986), pp. 35-49.]

Toril Moi points out that the current English translations of "The Second Sex" are poor. 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] 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.

References

See also

* Feminist existentialism
* "The Female Eunuch"
* "Fear of Flying"Translated in Hindi by Prabha Khaitan "Stree Upekshita"

External links

* [http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/fr/2ndsex.htm 'The Second Sex' by Simone de Beauvoir] (Free English Translation)