Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter

Summary

In "Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter," Simone de Beauvoir gracefully and profoundly recreates the atmosphere of her childhood and youth in bourgeois France at the dawn of the twentieth century. Through the lens of personal recollection, she unveils the inner world of a girl whose life unfolds in the shadow of strict family traditions, Catholic upbringing, and societal expectations. The book traces the journey of self-discovery: from the first glimmers of self-awareness and a thirst for knowledge to the painful search for freedom and her own voice. With subtle irony and honesty, de Beauvoir describes her relationships with her parents, her first friendships, intellectual awakenings, and early encounters with the injustices of the adult world. This is a candid and moving testimony of a woman coming of age, overcoming both internal and external barriers as she prepares for the future struggle to claim her right to be herself.