Girls’ desire for surgery masks fears of sexuality, pregnancy, and the womb

Evidence

This desire for an operation—and in particular for the removal of the appendix—is often seen at this age; girls thus express their fear of rape, pregnancy, or having a baby. They feel in their womb obscure perils and hope that the surgeon will save them from this unknown and threatening danger. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 767

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes that adolescent girls experience the body as an alien, threatening interior requiring rescue from outside.
• XREF: connects to: Mistrust of adults about sexuality magnifies a girl’s fear of childbirth — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 717; Girls’ early fears of sexuality often crystallize into a refusal of marriage; Some women seek authority over children while fearing biological childbirth itself. (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Girls’ early fears of sexuality often crystallize into a refusal of marriage #expands (0.85)
• Some women seek authority over children while fearing biological childbirth itself. #expands (0.80)
• Female sexual initiation often reads as sacrifice mixed with fear rather than pleasure #expands (0.78)