Menstruation horrifies girls because it signifies a descent into subordinated femininity

Evidence

The little girl would not seek sterile compensations in narcissism and dreams, she would not take herself as given, she would be interested in what she does, she would throw herself into her pursuits. I have said how much easier puberty would be if she surpassed it, like the boy, toward a free adult future; menstruation horrifies her only because it signifies a brutal descent into femininity; she would also assume her youthful eroticism more peacefully if she did not feel a frightening disgust for the rest of her destiny; a coherent sexual education would greatly help her to surmount this crisis. And thanks to coeducation, the august mystery of Man would have no occasion to arise: it would be killed by everyday familiarity and open competition. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1977

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the opening of the book where Beauvoir describes the ‘brutal descent’ of puberty; also echoes her claim that the body’s meaning is always socially mediated — links to male writers’ glorification of women’s bodies including her critique of Michel Leiris. — connects to: Menstrual blood was ambivalent in matriarchal societies—both destructive and beneficial.; Parental warnings about rape convert menstruation into crippling fear of men; Psychic shame about menstruation produces real physical illness in women — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 837 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Girls’ revolt against femininity stems from meager social compensations, not lesbian predisposition #corroborates (0.80) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1040
• Menstrual hygiene’s practical burdens transform girls’ bodily revulsion into chronic anxiety about discovery #qualifies (0.75) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 750