Book Reflections: Notorious RBG by Shana Knizhnik and Irin Carmon

Before reading this book, I had already read Becoming Beauvoir, so it felt natural for me to wonder whether RBG might also be a kind of Beauvoir. To be honest, they do share many similarities: both were gifted and outstanding in their studies, both had good appearances, and both carved out a place for themselves in male-dominated fields while constantly facing neglect, ridicule, and discrimination. Yet RBG was perhaps more fortunate than Beauvoir. First, in her personal life, if the accounts of her husband Martin in this book are accurate and reliable, Martin far surpassed Sartre in terms of gender equality and respect for women. Second, in her career, once RBG became a Supreme Court Justice, she no longer had to fear retaliation or even the loss of her job for speaking out. This allowed her to live with a freer sense of justice and moral courage. It made me reflect that for women to truly stand up and have a voice, sound social institutions and protections are necessary. Compared to Beauvoir’s era, society has indeed made some progress.

In addition, I feel that RBG’s feminist thought inherited Beauvoir’s insight that stereotypes about women are socially constructed. For this reason, she actively worked to dismantle the law’s reinforcement of such stereotypes. The inspiration I draw from RBG’s success is that we must pursue the careers we are passionate about with energy and persistence, build broad social influence, and remain keenly aware of the times so as to seize opportunities. Of course, choosing the right life partner is also of great importance. Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to find the right person, and it is not something that can be forced. What we can do, above all, is to achieve financial independence and become self-reliant individuals whose strength comes not only from external support but also from within.