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Recommended: Modern marriage essay
A married couple may not always be the happiest couple even though it may seem that love is expressed in the relationship. Some marriages are meant to be while some are not. What causes a person to be dissatisfied with their marriage? Or how do external factors play a role on the outcome of a relationship? As for the case in "Holding Things Together" and "The Painted Door"; these short stories have a few similarities, but they also have many contrasting factors to take into consideration on why one couple is successful with there relationship while the other is not. The first factor that both shorties have in common is the loving and caring qualities of the husbands toward their wife's. In "The Painted Door", John, whose married to Anne, devotes a lot of his time to working in the farm. His goal is to pay off his mortgage as soon as possible and wants to be able to buy nice clothes for his wife. He's takes his wife into consideration when it comes to her feelings. For example, "[John] tried to brighten [his wife].(Pg.232)" when she was upset about him going to his fathers hou...
Human beings are not isolated individuals. We do not wander through a landscape of trees and dunes alone, reveling in our own thoughts. Rather, we need relationships with other human beings to give us a sense of support and guidance. We are social beings, who need talk and company almost as much as we need food and sleep. We need others so much, that we have developed a custom that will insure company: marriage. Marriage assures each of us of company and association, even if it is not always positive and helpful. Unfortunately, the great majority of marriages are not paragons of support. Instead, they hold danger and barbs for both members. Only the best marriages improve both partners. So when we look at all three of Janie’s marriages, only her marriage to Teacake shows the support, guidance, and love.
In the book "The Norton Anthology of short fiction" by Richard Bausch and R.V Cassill you can find a varieties of writes with different way of writings. There are some stories which the protagonist are involved in marriages and are addressed in different ways. In some cases these marriages ends correctly with happiness and love. Even though some of them don't end correctly, we can learn from them and avoid to happen something similar to all of us as a readers.
In her essay “The Myth of Coparenting: How it is supposed to be. How it is,” Hope Edelman discusses the issues that she faces when dealing with marriage roles. According to her descriptions, her husband doesn’t play an active role in their domestic life and only focuses on his career. Edelman often gets into arguments with him over his disinterest and lack of contribution to home life. She responds to this lack of interest by buying a swing set along with other items against the husband’s wishes. Similarly, Eric Bartels’ essay “My Problem with Her Anger” discusses the effects of marital roles from the husband’s perspective. He argues that although he is not the most active with domestic life, he does contribute. Bartels claims that his wife’s anger makes it hard for the family to function. Bartels proves his dedication to their family by showing how he gives up drinking beer in order to dedicate more time to helping out around the house. Both Edelman and Bartels express love for their children and frustration at their spouse. As a result of this, references to the swing set in Edelman’s essay and to beer in Bartels’ essay reveal that when there is a disagreement between the husband and wife in a marriage, it is possible that one of the partners will express their emotion through rebellion against his spouse
Marriage is an important theme in the stories Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin. When someone hears the word “marriage”, he thinks of love and protection but Hurston and Chopin see that differently. According to them, women are trapped in their marriage and they don’t know how to get out of it so they use language devices to prove their points.
...as the day we married.” (p 23) On the surface, all seems well; however if on looks closer one can see a very sad occurrence-taking place. Most couples who have lasted a goodly time together will not answer the question, “Do you love your spouse like the day you married?” Invariably man and wife will reply, “No, I love him/her more than the day we married.” Long married couples become closer. Intimacy grows in the physical as the couple’s love proportionally grows all more. The growth is palpable to the individuals within the marriage. Furthermore, as life’s hardships are over come together, the couple’s love will grow exponentially. Welty understands this yet chooses a different path for the Fletchers. Some place in time, either by Mrs. Fletchers pride or by Mr. Fletcher’s inability to deal with confrontation, the growth of which should have taken place will happen.
A History of Marriage by Stephanie Coontz speaks of the recent idealization of marriage based solely on love. Coontz doesn’t defame love, but touches on the many profound aspects that have created and bonded marriages through time. While love is still a large aspect Coontz wants us to see that a marriage needs more solid and less fickle aspects than just love.
Ann and John, two characters from he short story "The Painted Door", do not have a very healthy relationship. John is a simple farmer who thinks the only way he can please his wife, Ann, is by working all day to earn money for her. However Ann would prefer him to spend more time with her. Their relationship is stressed even further when Ann is left at home alone with nothing to think about but their relationship because John has to go to his father’s house. The terrible snowstorm accentuates Ann’s feelings of loneliness and despair. John does not pay enough attention to Ann, and therefore creates a weak relationship.
The relationship between the husband and wife seems initially to be perfect. They both show each other expressions of love. There is understanding, harmony, financial security, and good communication between them. The couple spends a lot of time together, discussing future plans, and talking about the good moments they had in the past. However, behind all of this positive interaction between the two of them is something they are both not able
In this story there are relationships of all kinds and many of them. Each couple has their own unique story and thoughts on how a marriage should occur. There are five major relationships in this story each with their own goals and views. Some chose to marry for the reasons of wealth or social status while others search for the love of another. No matter the reasons situations have brought these couples together and their differing opinions separate them apart. Though in the end no matter the reason each seeks for their own form of happyness.
There are many ways in which our relationships, especially marriage, are susceptible syndromes similar to the sinkhole. We let the process of developing our external world outpace our inner world and when we least expect it, the collapse comes suddenly. We spend a lot of time and effort sustaining marriage at the visible level so much that even we get convinced that all is well. The truth of the matter is that...
Jane is constantly looking for closure when she tries to talk to her husband “It’s so hard to John about my case” (652). But John turns her belittles her thoughts and calls her out as a little girl and nervous weakness. He refers to her as his patient and not his wife and this creates bridges between the couple. Jane also repeats her loneliness and longing for approval and acceptance from both society “if I had less opposition and more society”(648). and her husband “ it is so discouraging not to have advice and
Beauvoir believe that the institution of marriage is just a way of society once again forcing women in to this submissive/ subservient status. Goldman argued that it not love it’s the direct opposite of love to marry someone. Marriage is not how to show someone love and wasn’t created for that reason and was only created to make women be under the control of her husband. While Voltairine believed that marriage was for women away of taking over their freedom. Though their argument are different they are all trying to solve the same problem and get a point across. This is a social construct meant to take the women identity of herself away from her giving it to the man her husband. In order to enforce some patriarchal quo of what it means to be
Brockmeier’s short story represents a damaged marriage between a husband and a wife simply due to a different set of values and interests. Brockmeier reveals that there is a limit to love; husbands and wives will only go so far to continually show love for each other. Furthermore, he reveals that love can change as everything in this ever changing world does. More importantly, Brockmeier exposes the harshness and truth behind marriage and the detrimental effects on the people in the family that are involved. In the end, loving people forever seems too good to be true as affairs and divorces continually occur in the lives of numerous couples in society. However, Brockmeier encourages couples to face problems head on and to keep moving forward in a relationship. In the end, marriage is not a necessity needed to live life fully.
Lavner, J. A., & Bradbury, T. N. (2012). Why do even satisfied newlyweds eventually go on to divorce?. Journal Of Family Psychology, 26(1), 1-10. doi:10.1037/a0025966
Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin and the excerpt from Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser describes the dynamics between a husband and wife in a dysfunctional relationship, relating to the overarching theme that within a marriage, equal freedom and no confinement is necessary in order to fulfill a happy lifestyle. Both of these stories center around a marriage that simply is not working out, and both authors are implying to get out of relationships similar to these scenarios before it is too late.