For Better, For Worse
When women married for economic and social reasons, they were usually tied to their spouse for life. It was, indeed, the “for better, for worse” situation that the vows stated on the wedding day, as she had no other choice. When it was a “for better,” she was happy, and she also knew that she was fortunate. When the situation became a “for worse,” she knew she was stuck.
Women used to marry for social and economic reasons. It was an expectation of society. If a woman was not married by her early twenties, there was something wrong with her. She feared that she would become a spinster. The sorriest analogical state that a woman could find herself in is being that old woman that lived alone with all of the cats. If a woman was unable to attract a man, she must be defunct in some way, some manner, as there must be something wrong with her. No woman would choose to be single by choice in society of one hundred years ago.
Happiness was achieved for a woman through three specific achievements in her lifetime. Her first momentous achievement was when she was asked to be married. This was a time of great celebration as she was selected by someone and would be taken care of for the rest of her life. The next great step in a woman’s dream life was the wedding day when the nuptials would be exchanged and she would exchange her life and her name to become the wife of the man who was going to take care of her. Finally, happiness was indeed achieved forever with the gift of motherhood, the lifelong dream of the complete woman.
Dealing with a difficult situation, if there ever was one, was something that just had to be done in order for the marriage to be successful. The man provided the house and the food on the table. The woman did what was needed to endure the stability for the family. When “the worse” of the vows came into play, it was part of the wife’s duties to endure what was needed to ensure that the children were happy and to change what was necessary to make her husband happy, as he was providing for her and the children.
Freedoms that are offered today are that men and women do not need to live in a world of fiction. Reality is allowed to be expressed. The changes women demanded took a while for adaptations and acceptance, but modern men accept women who have expectations of opinions and equality. Why, then, would men want to get married? No longer is it necessary for economic stability or social acceptance. According to Alex Wellen of CNN magazine, men want to finalize their relationships with the women that they love, because they just can’t imagine their lives without them (2009). So, in the end, the reason for modern marriage comes down to love, for both men and women. Now, there is equality in the modern era.
Works Cited
Wellen, A. (2009, July 8). Do men really want to get married?. CNN Magazine. Retrieved from:
http://articles.cnn.com/2009-07-08/living/men.want.to.get.married_1_tyler-harris-
moment-arcade?_s=PM:LIVING
