Simone De Beauvoir

A detailed Summary of Simone De Beauvoir

"You've Got to Do, What You've Got to Do"

"Simone De Beauvoir was one of the most important post- World War II French intellectuals." (173) She is a French socialist, feminist, and writer. She wrote Le Deuxieme Sexe (The Second Sex) in 1949. In which she concentrates on " women's lack of personal development to the institution of marriage and household responsibilities..." In addition, in this book she says most women heroines are oddities. Which lead me to ask myself, "Are most female heroines 'oddities?'" In order to answer this question we must define a heroine. A heroine is a woman of heroic character. Those whom I may consider heroines in modern day life would be Oprah and Princess Diana. May I add they were difficult to think of and the fact that they are rare may be the only oddity I can notice? Once I examined why these women heroines are considered oddities I came to one resolution. It is simply the facts that in order for Oprah and Diana to be the great heroines they are, they had to break society's gender roles.

One woman who comes to mind as a heroine of today is Oprah Winfrey. "Oprah Winfrey has more influence on culture than any university president, politician, or religious leaders, expect perhaps the Pope.

" (Vanity Fair Magazine 42) Oprah is not just another famous entertainer; she is a friend to the world and a role model for all people, of any gender, of any race, of any group. "Her warmth as a human being inspires and influences millions worldwide." Yet as her progresses, she continues to adapt, grow, and become a stronger, deeper, and most spiritual person. She was black, southern, born out of wedlock and into poverty. "From her humble beginning in rural Mississippi, Oprah's legacy has established her as one of the most important figure in popular culture...Her contributions can be felt beyond the world of television and into area such as publishing, music, film, philanthropy, education, health and fitness, and social awareness." Society would show her that she is a minority and female and was not going to amount to anything. Instead, she chose to take charge of her destiny and became a great woman of influence. "Oprah Winfrey has already left a indelible mark on the face of television." Because Oprah is such a great person, she is viewed as an oddity. It sad to think that just because a woman is successful, she is judged odd. The main reason for this is that women, such as Oprah are ignoring those gender roles. She ignored gender roles such as cleaning, cooking, getting married, having kids, being dependent, and passive. These gender roles condemn women who have ambition and those who want to go out into the world and make a difference. Society is so insecure with letting a woman be in a position of authority. Society disagrees with being independent and liberal. And if you are, you are going to be judged as strange. As Beauvoir said, " the ambitious women and the heroine are strange monsters." Society has to lay down these rules for women to associate to their sex. So women think; I am a women and I have to

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Approximate Word count = 1232
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous