Thoughts on The Second Sex: Part I and Part V chap.

6
Martín Buenahora Bonilla

I must admit that this second approach to Beauvoir was far different from the first. I now can see
the scope of Sartre's influence on her thought, and a big deal of his pessimism is reflected in some
aspects of this week's readings.
The first aspect in which I noted this was in the way she treats the female body, particularly
in regards to pregnancy and sexuality. I can not live a lot of the things that she mentions about them,
but from reading and conversation there seems to be a lot of women that see things like pregnancy
not as alienating but as fulfilling. With things like this I understand better the criticism that
Beauvoir favors traditionally male attitudes and activities, as for some it may be a worthwhile
suffering things like the period just for having the opportunity to bear children and have that
intimate connection with them.
Also, I find it curious that she says that the female body (in opposition to the male body) is
alienating for women with the pain it naturally seems to cause. Thus, the body would show itself as
something different from the individual by this opposition to its freedom. This idea supposes that to
an individual “the life of the soul” (to put it in some way) never opposes the individual, something
which is false, as shown by the experience of leaving an addiction.
Finally, I found odd how Beauvoir differentiates the male from the female world in part V,
chap. 6. Without Sartre's ideas, saying that the male world is built in opposition to woman and to
exclude her sounds at the very least odd. But it is cool that at the end of the chapter she recognizes
that woman's situation could have it's advantages, as do postmodern feminists.