Virginity myths encode male ambivalence between fear and desire of the feminine

Evidence

Man’s hesitation between fear and desire, between the terror of being possessed by uncontrollable forces and the will to overcome them, is grippingly reflected in the virginity myths. Dreaded or desired or even demanded by the male, virginity is the highest form of the feminine mystery; this aspect is simultaneously the most troubling and the most fascinating. Depending on whether man feels crushed by the powers encircling him or arrogantly believes he is able to make them his, he refuses or demands that his wife be delivered to him as a virgin. In the most primitive societies, where woman’s power is exalted, it is fear that dominates; woman has to be deflowered the night before the wedding. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 342

Categorization

• DEFINE: Establishes virginity as culturally constructed around male ambivalence rather than any intrinsic property — a key move in Beauvoir’s anti-essentialism.
• XREF: Connects to Lévi-Strauss on exogamy and the exchange of women, and to Freud’s ‘woman as castrated mystery.’ — connects to: Male admiration of beauty hides fear and contempt for nature; The virgin-desire myth serves male domination, not biological fact — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 948; Female sexual initiation often reads as sacrifice mixed with fear rather than pleasure (+6 more)

Broader Connections

• The virgin-desire myth serves male domination, not biological fact #expands (0.90) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 948
• Female sexual initiation often reads as sacrifice mixed with fear rather than pleasure #exemplifies (0.82)
• Incest taboos and menstruation prohibitions both express man’s fear of feminine fertility #expands (0.80) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 339
• Male sexuality integrates with individual transcendence while female sexuality does not #expands (0.78) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 97
• Male hatred of women often masks a deeper hatred of maternal origin and embodiment #expands (0.75) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 454
• Female desire is an indissoluble synthesis of attraction and repulsion, not disguised male-derived libido #qualifies (0.72) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 130
• Sex terrifies because it reminds humans they are mortal animals #expands (0.72) — Sheldon Solomon, Jeff Greenberg, Tom Pyszczynski, The Worm at the Core, 583