The Second Sex is thought to have had many different sources of inspiration, including Beauvoir’s reading, her conversations with her contemporaries, her experiences as a woman and the experiences of her friends.
Key point 2
The Second Sex was published in two volumes. In the first volume, she’s interested in the questions ‘What is a woman?’ and ‘What does it mean to be feminine?’
Key point 3
The second volume caused a scandal. She makes the claim that one is not born, but rather becomes a woman.