Simone de Beauvoir
During our trip, I've learned that Simone de Beauvoir played a big role in the feminist movement. She wrote the second sex and really focused on the oppression of gender roles placed on women by society. I also thought it was interesting to learn that she never got married, despite having a romantic relationship with Jean-Paul Sartre, and they are buried together. My reaction to Simone de Beauvoir is that she seems like a really brave and smart woman. I don’t think there were a lot of other women stating their beliefs and opinions like her, and there were probably not very many people who agreed with her.
I would definitely say Simone de Beauvoir was a trailblazer as a feminist. Her contributions to the feminist movement were important because they challenged a lot of beliefs and caused a lot of women to question their gender roles and how they have been treated, and it sparked movements for women's rights. It's definitely changed society because gender roles have changed a lot and women don’t have to just stay home and take care of the children, they can go work or get an education. Her work also inspired other philosophers and feminist writers at the time and in the future.
Simone de Beauvoir is definitely recognized in France, there are schools and there is a square named “Sartre-Beauvoir” in memory of both philosophers. Also just by looking at her grave, it is clear that people in France really care about her and the impact she had. There are a lot of lipstick marks on her grave from where people have kissed it and it was really cool to see. I had never seen anyone's grave look like that before and I didn’t even think that would be allowed, but it's cool because then you can really see how many people still look up to her. I think she is commemorated well, and she is definitely still being taught about and her work hasn’t been forgotten.
Hi Betsy, I loved your blog post!!! I totally agree that she was a trailblazer for feminism, and that she was a great influence on women. Learning about her impact on the women in France was inspiring, and like you mentioned, we could see that she was commemorated well by her grave. Simone de Beauvoir's influence deepens the importance of Paris being a cultural capital and it is because of her role in changing gender roles in society. Great post!!
ReplyDeleteWell said, she indeed was a trailblazer for the feminist movement. Many obstacles were in front of her that took a lot of effort to climb over. The main one being that men in society did not care for treating women like equals or like people with a voice. Her writings were a pathway for a lot of women to start sharing their beliefs and push back against the oppression. This still happens today, so we must remember women like Simone and stand up for change.
ReplyDeleteThis is such a good post!! I love how you talked about Simone de Beauvoir was one of the first of her kind in this feminist field. This idea fully contributes to Paris's status as a cultural capital because it shows that the city enabled women to be themselves and speak out against inequality. Paris was and still is a city of free expression and a city that is constantly breaking the norm and influencing other cities in its wake.
ReplyDeleteBetsy, I loved your comments about Simone de Beauvoir! You mention her as a trailblazer which I completely agree with. In terms of the difficulties that she faced, how might her complications be altered had we faced a de Beauvoir equivalent in today's time? Do you think social media might play a part in advancing or restricting her messages?
ReplyDeleteHey Betsy! I liked your comments on how you thought Simone de Beauvoir was commemorated were pertinent and will likely help you on your final. Talking about yours and other's reactions to her grave speaks to how she contributes to Paris's status as a Cultural capital.
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