Woolf and De Beauvoir

After completing the readings I feel that the main issue that women are being portrayed to face is self consciousness. In the Woolf readings the main character of each short story is feeling nervous and is worrying about how she appears to others and what others may think of her. In "The New Dress," Mabel is feeling so self conscious because she is dressed in a manner unlike all the other females at the party, "she felt like a dressmaker's dummy standing there, for young people to stick pins into." She was feeling like an outcast among all the other ladies because she chose to dress in attire that she likes, rather than what is the current fashion at the time. She is also aware of how silly it is to be so worried of the though and opinions of others. "But is was all so paltry, weak-blooded, and petty-minded to care so much at her age with two children, to be still so utterly dependent on people's opinions and not have principles or convictions." She knows she should not be so worried by how others perceive what she likes, and that she should be happy with the decision she made because she is the one who is wearing the dress and she should be the one who should be please by it, not others.
In the introduction Lily is attending a party for her first time and is almost hiding in the corner because she is nervous and intimidated by approaching others because she is worried about how they will see her. She describes her anguish at the thought of being introduced to a circle of others as "being flung into a whirlpool where either she would perish or be saved." She even expresses her self consciousness to herself as she is being walked over, "feeling conscious as she walked."

What I think De Beauvoir is saying is that the characteristics and roles of women are ideas that society has about them and how women should behave act and what they should and should not do and say. She calls these ideas are "myths." She says that "few myths have been more advantageous to the ruling caste than the myth of woman: it justifies all privileges and even authorizes their abuse." I feel that by this she is saying that the myth and role and ideas placed on women make others feel like if they don't fufill those roles, the actions that people take on them are justified, be ccause the women should do what they are supposed or intended to do.

I dont really see any solution that is being offered by either author. They are just shining a light on and voicing their opinion on the matters they touch upon.