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Quiz for Primary Source 29.3: Simone de Beauvoir’s Feminist Critique of Marriage

Question

1. According to Beauvoir, which of these does a woman lack in marriage?

The opportunity to engage the future and to change

The opportunity to provide happiness to others

The opportunity to experience pleasure

The opportunity to safeguard the past

Correct. The answer is a. Beauvoir argued that because women were limited to the domestic sphere, they were cut off from the world of action and change.

Incorrect. The answer is a. Beauvoir argued that because women were limited to the domestic sphere, they were cut off from the world of action and change.

Question

2. Which of these best characterizes Beauvoir’s view of housework?

A calculated system of enslavement

A necessary and noble pursuit

An endless cycle of crushing routine

Light and pleasant work, although somewhat insubstantial

Correct. The answer is c. Beauvoir described housework as similar to the “torment of Sisyphus,” a figure from Greek mythology who was made to roll a boulder up a hill. Once Sisyphus neared the top, the boulder would roll down, forcing him to begin again.

Incorrect. The answer is c. Beauvoir described housework as similar to the “torment of Sisyphus,” a figure from Greek mythology who was made to roll a boulder up a hill. Once Sisyphus neared the top, the boulder would roll down, forcing him to begin again.

Question

3. What did Beauvoir suggest as a replacement for traditional marriage?

Modified marriages in which each partner took turns working outside of the home

Nothing, since Beauvoir did not think lasting relationships between men and women were possible

Group unions in which three or more people play a variety of roles

A variety of different kinds of relationships, each fitting the needs of the particular couple involved

Correct. The answer is d. In Beauvoir’s view, since “many nuances are possible in the relations of a man and a woman,” not all relationships should be confined to a single, institutional model.

Incorrect. The answer is d. In Beauvoir’s view, since “many nuances are possible in the relations of a man and a woman,” not all relationships should be confined to a single, institutional model.