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Unit 24: Harriet Martineau-On Women...

in the same way—they do not seem to me a bit worse than their honoured sisters)—To be married Notes
is the object of their existence and that object being gained they do really cease to exist as to
anything worth calling life or any useful purpose. One observes very few marriages where there
is any real sympathy or enjoyment of companionship between the parties—The woman knows
what her power is, and gains by it what she has been taught to consider “proper” to her state—
The woman who would gain power by such means is unfit for power, still they do use this power
for paltry advantages and I am astonished it has never occurred to them to gain some large
purpose: but their minds are degenerated by habits of dependance—I should think that 500 years
hence none of the follies of their ancestors will so excite wonder and contempt as the fact of
legislative restraint as to matters of feeling—or rather in the expressions of feeling. When once the
law undertakes to say which demonstration of feeling shall be given to which, it seems quite
inconsistent not to legislate for all, and say how many shall be seen, how many heard, and what
kind and degree of feeling allows of shaking hands—The Turks is the only consistent mode.
I have no doubt that when the whole community is really educated, tho’ the present laws of
marriage were to continue they would be perfectly disregarded, because no one would marry—
The widest and perhaps the quickest means to do away with its evils is to be found in promoting
education—as it is the means of all good—but meanwhile it is hard that those who suffer most
from its evils and who are always the best people, should be left without remedy. Would not the
best plan be divorce which could be attained by any, without any reason assigned, and at small
expence, but which could only be finally pronounced after a long period? not less time than two
years should elapse between suing for divorce and permission to contract again—but what the
decision will be must be certain at the moment of asking for it—unless during that time the suit
should be withdrawn—(I feel like a lawyer in talking of it only! O how absurd and little it all is!)—
In the present system of habits and opinions, girls enter into what is called a contract perfectly
ignorant of the conditions of it, and that they should be so is considered absolutely essential to
their fitness for it!—But after all the one argument of the matter which I think might be said so as
to strike both high and low natures is—Who would wish to have the person without the inclination?
Whoever would take the benefit of a law of divorce must be those whose inclination is to separate
and who on earth would wish another to remain with them against their inclination? I should
think no one—people sophisticate about the matter now and will not believe that one “really would
wish to go.” Suppose instead of calling it a “law of divorce” it were to be called “Proof of affection”—
They would like it better then—At this present time, in this state of civilization, what evil would
be caused by, first placing women on the most entire equality with men, as to all rights and
privileges, civil and political, and then doing away with all laws whatever relating to marriage?
Then if a woman had children she must take the charge of them, women would not then have
children without considering how to maintain them. Women would have no more reason to barter
person for bread, or for any thing else, than men have—public offices being open to them alike, all
occupations would be divided between the sexes in their natural arrangement. Fathers would
provide for their daughters in the same manner as for their sons.
All the difficulties about divorce seem to be in the consideration for the children—but on this plan
it would be the women’s interest not to have children—now it is thought to be the womans interest
to have children as so many ties to the man who feeds her. Sex in its true and finest meaning,
seems to be the way in which is manifested all that is highest best and beautiful in the nature of
human beings—none but poets have approached to the perception of the beauty of the material
world—still less of the spiritual—and there never yet existed a poet, except by the inspiration of
that feeling which is the perception of beauty in all forms and by all the means which are given us,
as well as by sight. Are we not born with the five senses, merely as a foundation for others which
we may make by them—and who extends and refines those material senses to the highest—into
infinity—best fulfils the end of creation—That is only saying—Who enjoys most, is most virtuous—

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