full title The Second Sex
author Simone de Beauvoir
type of work Nonfiction
genre Women’s studies; philosophy
language French
time and place written Paris
date of first publication 1949
publisher Gallimard
point of view Third person; very occasionally first person
major conflict Men and women struggle for primacy in society.
themes Immanence vs. transcendence; nature vs. nurture; reproduction vs.
production
motifs The eternal feminine; the Other
symbols The praying mantis
