The Second Sex

Quotes

• One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.
• Man defines woman not as herself but in relation to himself; she is not considered an autonomous being.
• He is the Subject, he is the Absolute; she is the Other.
• The tragedy of woman lies in the conflict between the fundamental aspirations of every subject—to assert oneself as a sovereign individual—and the demands of a situation that restricts her possibilities.