Non-fiction: The Second Sex

Overview
Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex presents a sweeping analysis of what it means to be a woman in modern Western society. Rooted in existentialist philosophy, the book argues that woman is not a fixed biological destiny but a social and historical construction. De Beauvoir combines philosophy, history, sociology, anthropology and literary criticism to trace how women have been defined as "the Other" and constrained within roles that limit freedom and autonomy.

Philosophical Framework
Existentialist concepts of freedom, transcendence and facticity ground the argument. De Beauvoir emphasizes that human beings are free projects capable of transcending given situations, yet this freedom is unevenly available. Men historically occupy the position of subject and universal, while women are relegated to immanence, defined in relation to men and denied full agency. The famous assertion "one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman" encapsulates the idea that gender is performed and produced by social institutions rather than determined solely by biology.

Historical and Social Analysis
The book traces women's condition across history, showing how legal, economic and cultural structures have entrenched female dependency. De Beauvoir surveys mythologies, religious doctrines, marriage customs and economic arrangements to demonstrate patterns of exclusion and exploitation. She shows how property systems, inheritance laws and labor divisions have made women economically subordinate, reinforcing images of women as passive, nurturing or morally weaker, which in turn justify their social marginalization.

Biology, Psychology and Myth
De Beauvoir critiques deterministic appeals to biology and reductive psychoanalytic explanations. She acknowledges biological differences but insists they cannot explain the social meaning attached to those differences. Psychoanalytic and anthropological accounts are examined and challenged when they naturalize power relations. Myths and literary depictions of the "eternal feminine" are exposed as cultural inventions that legitimize male domination by portraying women as mysterious, irrational or essentially other.

Everyday Lives and Institutions
Detailed accounts of childhood, education, work, sexual relationships, marriage, motherhood and prostitution illuminate how gendered subjectivity is formed. Childhood socialization channels girls toward passivity; schooling and culture train women to seek validation through appearance and relationships. Marriage and maternity are shown as institutions that can trap women in cycles of immanence, while economic dependence and limited career opportunities restrict the possibility of independent self-realization. Sexuality is analyzed as both a site of desire and of power imbalance, where women's autonomy is often compromised by social expectations.

Politics and Legacy
De Beauvoir calls for structural and cultural transformation to enable women's liberation: legal equality, economic independence, access to education and reproductive freedom are essential. Emancipation requires that women become subjects capable of asserting their freedom and altering the conditions that make them "second." The Second Sex has had a profound impact on feminist thought and activism, sparking debates about identity, embodiment and social change. It remains foundational for its insistence on freedom, its rigorous critique of othering, and its demand that society be restructured so that both women and men can transcend imposed roles.