ABSTRACT
Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986) is best known for her treatise The Second Sex (Le deuxième sexe). The book was published in 1949. It probes the view on women and discusses the way they are represented, how women see themselves, and what the future holds for young girls. De Beauvoir advances the theory that women are classified as second-class citizens in relation to men. She also maintains that men as well as women persist in affirming this unequal relationship, both in the choices they make and in their actions, as these appear to be the fruit of fixed patterns. Men are in control of the economy, of history, education, and representation. It looks as if women can improve their position by finding a suitable marriage partner, but as soon as they give up their jobs to have children, they are in fact finished. They can no longer fulfil themselves and are imprisoned in their homes from this day forward. Preoccupied with silly chores, housewives and mothers just cannot find the time for personal growth, nor for contributing to society in any significant way.
