LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 14:3 March 2014
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Myth and Reality in The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir

Dr. Smita K., M.A. (English), Ph.D., NET

Introduction

Simone de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex is a great work of anthropology, sociology, biology and psychoanalysis. It is a path breaking work and a landmark in the history of feminism. She has brought about a change in the social relationship of man and woman. She examines the fundamental issue – What is a woman in its entirety? Simone builds her treatise on the theory that woman has always been treated as the ‘other.’ The title of the essay “Myth and Reality,” indicates that there are two views about “the second sex” – the mythical view and the realistic view. The essay explains who women actually are, and what are the facts and fiction about them invented by “the first sex.” She tries to project the truth about the myth of the woman in this life, and to find,

“To what extent does it affect the customs and conduct of individuals? In replying to this question it will be necessary to state precisely the relations this myth bears to reality” (The Second Sex 282).

Myths

For Beauvoir, myth is a story which serves to explain why the world is as it is, and why things happen as they do, to provide a rationale for social customs and observations. Myths are culture specific and are taken to be true and naturally existing. Myths primarily are representations of reality. In the process of representing reality the myths happen to overtake reality itself, and are transformed into absolute truth. Myths, actually, are not the truth, absolute, real or authentic; rather they are just the conceived facts, given the shape of truth to work out self-vested purposes. Myths, for women, are cages that keep them in bonds.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Dr. Smita K., M.A. (English), Ph.D., NET
Assistant Professor of English
Priyadarshini Indira Gandhi Government College for Women
Jind - 126102
Haryana
India
k.smita23@yahoo.in
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