efore entering the analysis, I should clarify what I mean here by"feminine" existence. I n accordance with de Beauvoir's understanding, I take"femininity" to designate not a mysterious quality or essence which all w o m e nhave by virtue of their being biologically female. It is, rather, a set ofstructures and conditions which delimit the typical situation of being aw o m a n in a particular society, as well as the typical way in which this situationis lived by the w o m e n themselves. Defined as such, it is not necessary that anyw o m e n be " f e m i n i n e " - - t h a t is, it is not necessary that there be distinctivestructures a n d b e h a v i o r typical of the s i t u a t i o n o f w o m e n