Love and Marriage in the 18th century
Our aim in this paper will be to analyze and discuss the different ways in which love and marriage were dealt with during the eighteenth century and to what extent these two terms were linked together or considered as opposite. To accomplish this matter we are going to focus our attention on several works that are representative from this period and that reflect in an accurate way the social mores and more specifically, marriage conventions and romantic love. Throughout this discussion we will be emphasizing the idea that marriage is represented in these works as an institution completely detached from love and that it pursues more than anything else economic purposes and an rising in the social hierarchy. First of all we should account for the situation of English women during the eighteenth century, that despite several social improvements, continued having less rights or freedom than men within the family and marriage as an institution. Patriarchal forms were still a deep-rooted custom that ruled society, which was male-centered. Marriage was often forced on women as their only way of having a recognized position in society, but at the same time led them to slavery. Women's property could be spent to the discretion of
Peggy is married to Daniel, a sailor. Later on in the play, Tony's false directions lead Marlow and Hastings to the Hardcastle residence, where they believe they can lodge for a decent rate before continuing on to meet Mr. All of Moll's subsequent sexual relations will have a monetary dimension. A man with half my industry, and, I may say, abilities, could have procured a decent livelihood. Nevertheless, marriages took place among people belonging to the same social class and this is why Moll Flanders has to pretend to be richer than she really is in order to reach her aim. Despite her initial disagreement with the idea of this established encounter with the young boy, she finally accepts the meeting after her father's exaltation of the young man's virtues. In most of the cases women found in marriage the only possible escape from the patriarchal forms embodied in the father's figure. "I have lived longer in it than you, and I assure you there is not any thing worth our Regard besides Money: nor did I ever know one Person who married from other Considerations, who did not afterwards heartily repent it. She then joyfully declares: "My dear papa, say no more (kissing his hand), he's mine, I'll have him!" (p. This leads us a to the question of women's virtue and how to preserve it.
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