"One is not born, but rather becomes a woman."
In my own opinion, this quote by Simone de Beauvoir means to me that when you are first bought into this world you are not automatically termed "a woman". You are shaped by your environment into becoming a woman. The things we as females go through as human beings shape us into women. Biology doesn't mean a thing when it comes down to being identified as a woman. When you assume the role that society has identified as being considered a woman is when you become a woman. Until then, you go through the motions of growing up and being shaped by the society you live in.
"To explain why gendering is done from birth, constantly and by everyone, we have to look not only at the way individuals experience gender but at gender as a social institution."
Quote from "Night to His Day"
We have to face facts we are influenced by society and the media when it comes down to identifying the differences of sex, gender, and sexuality. From birth you born with female or male body parts and systems and this identifies your sex to the world. Then from there this details your gender and what comes with being the gender you are what your supposed to do and not supposed to do. Then when it comes down to sexuality you are told by society that you are supposed to be straight, and your considered a rebel if you venture out of this.
The media with each generation is getting a bit more rebellious, but still stays within the required norms of society. An example I could use for what I'm trying to say would be the Herbal Essence commercials. You see the beautiful woman tossing her hair around and she's all made up into what a woman is supposed to look like and from the looks of it she has no clothes on! It's not too revealing though because they just show her naked shoulders. You don't see a man in this commercial because they want women to use this product preferrably. They try to stay within the accepted norms of society, but for a bit of edge she doesn't have a top on but they don't show anything below her shoulders. This is the media molding us...
This in my point of view is why Simone de Beauvoir's statement is such a powerful one because it reflects on the past and the present period.
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