19th Century Marriage

The marriage culture within Middle and Eastern Europe, during the early nineteenth century added to the weight of the women’s plight in their efforts for equality. Women in marriages during this time, especially those of the arranged nature, were significantly less well of than their male counterparts. This oppression was enforced through social pressure, religious beliefs and practices, economics, and common law. Often times women had little say in when, where, and even sometimes to whom they were to be married. “Although a women was not supposed to be married against her will, it certainly did happen” (D 391). The practice of an arranged marriage was one of the most common ways women were pushed into this culture of marriage. While in modern
Even though when other people arranged women with potential suitors, it was usually the bride to be that would have the final say on what candidate she would choose. However, there were a number of factors that placed enormous pressure on some of such young age. The decision to choose came down to a couple of different variables. If she was to say no to a perspective husband, she would leave herself open to future options, in turn saying yes would not (A). Saying no would obviously give her more flexibility, but there is a down side to saying no as well. There is a limited number of people that “well wishers” can choose from, as some social constructs believed that you are supposed to marry within your social class (C). These classes varied in size, as an example “While only about three percent of Russian population in the 19th century had hereditary nobility, only three percent of them were the super-rich aristocrats” (C). Marrying outside of your social or economic group was so looked down upon that it was seen as almost the equivalent of prostitution. “If she marries a richer man more readily than a equal one, then she covets her husband more for his possessions than for himself, so therefor deems herself not least of all to be on sale” (B 40). So even if a women was to find a man out of love that but he fell into a different economic or social group, she would have difficulties being able to marry him. It was thinking of people at that time would be hard pressed to believe that it was actually for love and not for financial purposes. Therefor marriages often came down to eaqual matches of wealth, putting difficulties on marrying for love (B