Yay for more feminist readings!

I feel a lot of these books are sparking heated debates, but I’m glad we’re exploring this genre. The bane of my existence is how English classes tend to focus on white male european writers. It’s old and it’s tiring.

Often I find myself picking up a book for an English class and just assuming that is who the author is. I even did it with this piece of a novel before I researched the author. You just get in a bad habit of assuming that, and it makes me really sad that even I have succumbed to that.

I found even just the author’s introduction a breath of fresh air.

When de Beauvoir opens with speaking about how feminism is “practically over” I almost burst out laughing. Because at the time, they thought it was. She sparked the second-wave of the feminist movement, and we have made great strides since then. To think that people believed it was done back in the 1950’s is shocking. Even today we have still not reached absolute equality.

The sarcastic, tongue and cheek way she writes is refreshing. Her repeated question of “Are there women?” could confuse people, but I see the humour. For de Beauvoir is aware of the inequality still occurring, and must question the view of society on women.

Another part where she speaks of “woman is a womb” was startling. Often I find that is still an issue today, where people can only see women as mothers, caregivers. Yes, one may have a job and career, but in the end it is expected she settle down and start popping out some little ones.

de Beauvoir tacles many issues such as femininity, dominance, and psychoanalysis. I quite enjoyed reading her work and have a lot of ideas, and I’m excited to see what the group brings forth in discussion.