Assignment 7.2

I chose to do my assignment on cluster 2, Great Expectations. Are we looking for the "perfect" relationship and why? Historically people married for necessity. For example, status, money, convenience...etc. The thought of love didn't matter. I can remember reading some books where the father arranged a marriage and the daughter, often much younger than the groom-to-be, would say, "but Daddy, I don't love him" and her father dismissing her as silly or stupid. I can remember him telling her that the union would join the two lands together so that they could farm a larger area. And she would hang her head and eventually the marriage would go through.

In those types of relationships, I suspect there was a lot of abuse and infidelity. It seemed alright for the man to have affairs, but not the woman. In fact, it was often public knowledge that farmer john visited the brothels or kept a girlfriend in town if he was wealthy. However, it was not acceptable for the wife. She was to be a virgin and was supposed to maintain the appearance of the proper wife. Today if there is infidelity it's because one person feels they are not getting something at home that they need. It doesn't necessarily mean sex, but maybe conversations or whatever, just a level of intimacy or communication that is missing from home.

Now it seems that both men and women have come to realize that marriages do not have to be arranged for economic or status reasons. They are free to join a relationship and make the proper efforts. Women are more independent and self sufficient than in the past. Perhaps the 1950's wife was afraid to leave because she had no way to support herself or her children, and no where to go because divorce was looked upon as very bad. Today, If it doesn't work, there are plenty of options for leaving the relationship.

The text talks about same-sex marriages and the controversy that is constantly going on. It seems unfair to make it legal one year, and then turn around another year and say nope, not legal. I personally don't care what your "family" looks like. I think that perhaps the commitment level of same-sex marriages are stronger than a lot of traditional marriages. I think that the same-sex partners have spent a lot of time overcoming adversity to get to the point of marriage that they have given it plenty of thought and energy. They also realize what the effects can be if they need to separate, as far as any children or common items such as house, car...etc. Again, the commitment level is stronger. It would be nice for someone to make a real final decision on this subject so the country can move on.