For women, marriage was the only route to social legitimacy

Evidence

A young girl’s free choice was always highly restricted; and celibacy—except in rare cases where it bears a sacred connotation—ranked her as a parasite and pariah; marriage was her only means of survival and the only justification of her existence. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1096

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the existentialist-feminist framework where woman’s value is defined by man rather than herself — her existence is justified only through marriage. — connects to: Only sovereignty or sanctity could lift women above their sex in medieval society. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 219; Women of Bashkirtseff’s era could only advance socially through marriage. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 891; Marriage remains the defining reference point of female identity (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Traditional marriage confines woman to immanence and denies her transcendence #expands (0.85) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1196
• Patriarchal marriage serves collective interests, not individual love or happiness #expands (0.82) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1132
• Marriage’s ethical dignity actually suppresses rather than dignifies women’s sexuality #complicates (0.75) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1136