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Birth of de Beauvoir
Born on January 9, 1908, Simone de Beauvoir was the eldest daughter in a bourgeois family and was raised strictly Catholic. She was so devoutly religious that she had considered becoming a nun until she reached the age of 14 when she had a crisis of faith and declared herself atheist. -
Sarbonne University
de Beauvoir dedicated herself to the study of existence where her focus shifted from religion to math, literature, and philosophy. She graduated at the top of her class at the prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris, France where she later became the youngest person to pass the agregation - France’s highly competitive post graduate examination - in philosophy at the age of 21. de Beauvoir was only 1 of 9 women to achieve this at that time. -
Lovers and Friends
While attending Sarbonne University, de Beauvoir met fellow student Jean-Paul Sartre. In a short time, their relationship would grow to be romantic and lifelong but unconventional to say the least. The pair grew to become "essential" lovers and remained intellectual and romantic partners until Sartre's death in 1980 despite never marrying, having children, or even living in the same home together. -
The Second Sex
de Beauvoir published her first novel "She Came to Stay" in 1943 but it wasn't until 1949 when she became a prominent figure in the Feminist movement. The Second Sex was a 1,000-page critique of the patriarchy and the second-rate status of women throughout history. It was received with great controversy and ended up being placed on the Vatican's list of forbidden texts.
