Simone de Beauvoir quotes
1908 – 1986 · 20th century, France · Philosopher, novelist, memoirist, public intellectual
About Simone de Beauvoir
Born and died in Paris, she wrote novels, memoirs and philosophical essays that examine women's condition, freedom and lived experience. Combining phenomenology and political engagement, her work reshaped gender studies and feminist theory.
Works: The Second Sex; The Mandarins; She Came to Stay; Memoirs of a Dutiful Daughter
Quotes
“One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman.”
Source: The Second Sex, Introduction (1949)
Verified attribution What we know
- What is documented
- The wording is securely attributed to Simone de Beauvoir and appears in The Second Sex (1949) as the opening of her discussion on childhood and female formation.
Simone de Beauvoir's line captures a radical claim: 'woman' is not a fixed natural category but a social role produced by history, norms, and expectations. Written in The Second Sex (1949), it introduces her wide-ranging critique of how society makes women into the 'Other.' The sentence announces that identity is manufactured, not given.