Marriage and Divorce in Hard Times - 2815 Words

Marriage and Divorce in Dickens’ Hard Times: A Statement on the Religious Morals of 19th Century British Society The Victorian era in England gave birth to the first real industrial society the world had ever seen. With the rise of industry came large cities, an expanded working class population and the rapid rise of imperialism. Although England was progressing towards a more powerful place in the world, its citizens seemed to be drifting in the opposite direction. Oppressive laws and working conditions set clear boundaries between classes in England. The most oppressive social and state laws were those regarding to marriages and divorces. Just as the people of England felt trapped in the unequal social structure of England, the same is†¦show more content†¦Judge William Blackstone had announced that husbands could administer moderate correction to disobedient wives, and there were other means: as late as 1895, Edith Lanchesters father had her kidnapped and committed to a lunatic asylum for cohabiting with a man† (Wojtczak, â€Å"English Women’s History†). Although religion is not explicitly mentioned in Hard Times, religious values were involved in the social structure of England. Social and government laws were based on religious morals. For example, The Bible specifically states, â€Å"Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband† (King James Version, 1. Corinthians. 7.3). The Bible notes that the husband should treat his wife with benevolence. When one thinks of marriage, they think of love and emotions. This certainly does not seem to be the case in Mr. and Mrs. Gradgrind’s marriage. A perfect example of this is when Mrs. Gradgrind quotes on her deathbed, â€Å"You must remember my dear, that whenever I have said anything, on any subject, I have never heard the last of it; and consequently, that I have long left off saying anything† (Dickens’ 151). To expand this further, The Bible also notes that, â€Å"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother , and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh† (Genesis, 2.24). The Bible promotes the idea of a man and woman being together as â€Å"one flesh.† To be â€Å"one† is to be equal or balanced. This is not theShow MoreRelatedPopular Culture s Negative Influence Essay1727 Words   |  7 PagesCelebrating twenty-eight years of marriage seems to be a pretty impressive feat in today’s world. Not to mention all the couples who have been together for forty, even fifty years. Forty to fifty percent of marriages end in divorce in America (Kazdin, 1). Some say that that is a myth, that it is not actually factual. However, thorough research proves that it is unfortunately true. From popular culture’s negative influence, to how marriage could go all wrong, and finally to why it sometimes just can’tRead MoreDivorce Is The Best Or Worst For Kids?1093 Words   |  5 PagesMarriage is the legally recognized union of two people in a personal relationship, usually a man and a woman. (Kunz, 2012) When we think of marriage, we usually think of a man and a woman with children living happily ever after. Sometimes this is not the case in some marriages around the world. Usually there are some struggle and difficulties in marriages that could end in divorce. Divorce is more of a normal thing, more than half of the marriages end up in divorce. 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Separation of a child’s parents puts the childRead MoreDivorce Is A Problem Of Being Proven Essential For Healthy Marriages968 Words   |  4 Pageshand families I know who have never been affected by divorce. Divorce is growing more and more common throughout the world today. It is a problem in need of a solution. Divorce will never be completely eliminated, but it can’t hurt to give it a shot, right? I thought to myself the other day about who all I know who has never been divorced, and all I came up with was my very own parents. Later on I asked them why, and turns out prior to their marriage, they had gone through somewhat of a class togetherRead MoreEssay on Problems With Living Together Before Marriage1129 Words   |  5 PagesKim has just signed her divorce papers and cannot hide the sadness and confusion she feels. Two years ago everyone told her living with her boyfriend was a great idea. They said she would be able to get to know him better and see if marriage would work. She trusted her friends and thought that since everyone else was doing it that it must be the wisest choice. Wha t went wrong? Why was she unhappy with her marriage even after getting to know her husband through cohabitation? Would things haveRead MoreDivorce : A Serious Epidemic932 Words   |  4 Pagespositive to every negative. Even my divorce? For me, yes. If you go back and look at it, why it happened or how it happened, there’s something in there that’ll make you laugh.† Although divorce can be considered humorous it has become a serious epidemic. About 50 percent of all marriages end in divorce. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how an individual takes part in causing divorce, how society plays a part in divorce, and how can we lessen the situation. When divorce is looked into the odds of success