The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir -- Summary and Response

Summary

Men don't seek to define themselves according to their sex, whereas women do. Masculinity is the norm whereas femininity is marginal. Men need no explanation whereas women need qualification. It is male perception that is the normative perception of the world. This convention dates to Aristotle, who said that females are defective because they lack things males have, and even to Genesis where woman was created from a mere bone of Adam's. Humanity is male. Male is dominant, and female is secondary, the "Other". 

Woman is the product of society, not biology. 

New relationships between men and women are already being formed and will continue to be so. Male and female sexuality will always be distinct, but this doesn’t mean that equality otherwise cannot be achieved. 

Women need to both become individuals, rather than stereotypes or symbols clumped together in groups. Also, women need to become equal to men. This will not mean the end of passion – sex will always be tense, joyful, triumphant etc. Equality will not be the end of conquering and uniting. Instead, it will allow human relationships to achieve their true form, without half of humanity being oppressed and masked. To achieve their full potential, man and woman should embrace their differences together. 

Response

• Freud made sexuality dirty, a lot of perversion talk. This is important in airing it out, cleaning sex up
• Funny use of the word "brotherhood":

The case could not be better stated. It is for man to establish the reign of liberty in the midst of the world of the given. To gain the supreme victory, it is necessary, for one thing, that by and through their natural differentiation men and women unequivocally affirm their brotherhood.