Abstract

This article explores the role of women’s writing in Le deuxième sexe. Previous scholarly opinion has asserted that Beauvoir is hostile toward women’s writing. In contrast, this article argues that her treatment of women’s writing in the work is in fact generous, and shows a dialogic engagement with women’s writing that creates a shared world between Beauvoir, her readers, and women writers. The article then argues that Beauvoir’s criticisms of women’s writing should be understood in the context of her commitment to women’s professionalization.

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