Janet Vargas
Professor Parker
English 101
December 18, 2015
Marriage throughout the years
Not everyone is optimistic about the entitlement of marriage but eventually almost everyone experiences it at some point. Marriage exists to yoke men and women together, it draws lines around groups of people to call them family. Furthermore, it ensures the production of legal privileges in many aspects. Above all, being married means having someone to believe in you and to be with you for eternity. It is love and commitment. America defines it as the proper respect for the one you love. Ensuring commitment through every good and bad day in each other’s lives. However, marriage has not always been seen the same.
During the early 1600’s weddings did not take place inside a church like in today society, instead a marriage was united in front of the church doors. Before the wedding the church would post on the front doors a paper stating who was getting married. If anyone, for any reason, was against a wedding they would have the opportunity to go directly to the church to explain their concerns on why the marriage should not take place. If the reason was acceptable the wedding would be prohibited. This was a marriage tradition during the time. “The groom had to be at least 14 years of age and the bride at least 12 in order to engage in a matrimonial union. In most cases parents would choose who their children would marry (Lauri 213)”. In various cases the couple did not meet until the day of the wedding. Weddings were, technically, defined through monetary value. Before the marriage was sealed the groom would give his bride something symbolic such as a knife to seal their love with a vow. It was then continued with rings for the couple. Marriage was not always involved with the extent meaning of love. It was usually involved more with what the parent’s thought or felt was best for the bride and the intermediate family. Once the couple married there was very few...