Simone de Beauvoir & Ayn Rand
There are certain similarities to be found in co
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There are certain similarities to be found in comparing the lives and careers of Simone de Beauvoir and Ayn Rand. Both women were writers and both rose to prominence during the middle of the twentieth century. In addition, both women were novelists who were also known as philosophers. Against all odds, both women became successful in careers which were dominated by men at the time. Because of these factors, Beauvoir and Rand are both regarded as inspirations to the contemporary women's liberation movement. However, there is also one important difference to be found in comparing the works of Beauvoir and Rand. Whereas Beauvoir's views were compatible with those of the contemporary women's movement, Rand's views were usually in sharp contrast to them. In The Second Sex (1952), Simone de Beauvoir claimed that a powerful myth exists in modern society. This is the myth that women are subservient to men. According to Beauvoir, this myth is perpetuated by the works of modern literature. In The Second Sex, Beauvoir emphasized the works of male writers such as Montherlant, D. H. Lawrence, Claudel, Breton and Stendhal. However, it may be noted that modern women writers have also been responsible for perpetuating the myth of male dominance. In this regard, Chien has pointed out that rape is a common theme in the works of both male and female writers. In such works, women not only accept rape but fantasize about wanting it. This glorification of rape is clearly opposed
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nce, Rand felt that it was natural for women to worship men. Baker notes that "implicitly evident in her fiction and explicitly stated in her philosophy is the conviction that women stand in awe of the superior male" (117-118). Rand further made the anti-feminist claim that women enjoy having sex in which they are violently dominated by the man. According to her viewpoint, "for a woman lovemaking is best when it is violent" (Baker 118).
Rand's views on women can be seen in her novel The Fountainhead. For example, the book concludes with the image of Dominique looking up at Howard Roark as he towers above her on the construction site (Rand 694-695). Throughout the novel, Dominique is shown quickly obeying the demands of her "hero." Of course, the most vivid example of anti-feminism in The Fountainhead is in the way Dominique accepts being raped by Howard. According to the feminist perspective, the threat of rape is one of the things that keeps women in fear and thus allows men to stay in power. Therefore, it is ironic when the strong-willed Dominique thinks: "When they lay in bed together it was - as it had to be, as the nature of the act demanded - an act of violence" (Rand 283).
In contrast to Rand's novel, Beauvoi
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Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)
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