The Second Sex

Next, Beauvoir analyzes women in adulthood, beginning with marriage. Women must marry or they will be considered a “social waste” (441). For men, they can choose to be celibate, be sexually active and not marry, or marry at a later age. When women do marry, the wife is only a “mouthpiece” (443) for the husband in his relations with the community. A woman’s social life is mostly if not entirely subordinate to the life of her husband. The benefit of marriage for the woman is that it protects her from being exploited by men. Even so, marriage limits women’s sexual freedom. Because of the double standard over adultery, marriage does not limit men’s sexual freedom in the same way.

Building on the idea that a woman’s first sexual experience is often traumatic, Beauvoir argues that the wedding night is often difficult for the bride. This is because the man sexually rejects her, is clumsy during sex, or causes her pain. Beauvoir notes, “Many women, indeed, become mothers and grandmothers without ever having experienced pleasure or even arousal…” (462). The ideal situation is if both partners express complete consent. Because women are often pressured in some way into marriage, this usually does not apply to marriage.