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tamingthemuse2010-10-30 11:21 pm
guardian-erin.livejournal.com) wrote in tamingthemuse2010-10-30 11:21 pm
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Prompt 223 - Beowulf - "Marrying Young"
Title: Marrying Young
Author: Guardian
Rating: PG
Summary: Last essay-as-prompt-response, I promise. Marching band season is over, my weeks are a little less cramped, and Saturdays no longer non-existant. Plus, NANO!
Marrying Young
Benjamin Franklin, in 1768, wrote "Thoughts on the Subject of Early Marriages" in support of the idea of marrying young. At the time, this went against popular opinion, but Franklin makes several points to support his statement. According to Franklin, young people can adapt to marriage life more easily than older couples, their lack of experience can be found in advice from older friends or parents, and that marrying young will settle them down and prevent them from doing foolish things. Franklin also states that older parents are likely to die while their children are still young, that starting to have children at a younger age increases population, and that those who wait to be married often find themselves alone. These points may all have been valid in his time, but today there have been many changes to society, including a much larger population, an increase in life expectancy, and highly accessible education.
In his time, Franklin's advice was necessary in a newly founded America. Marriage meant an almost sure promise of children, and population was something that the country desperately needed. An early marriage meant an even longer time span to procreate. When Franklin penned this letter to a young friend, the Declaration of Independence had not yet been signed, and life expectancy was only forty years. Today it is not necessary, at least in the United States, to worry about population size. We have an exponentially larger population today compared to the mid 1700s, so bearing children is often a choice made in due time rather than an expected duty. Thanks to advances in medicine, much of our population is made up of people who are well past the age of forty.
Life expectancy is another tremendous change that makes it unnecessary to marry at a young age. While having children in one's late twenties or thirties would be risky in Franklin's time, it is acceptable today. The length of a person's life has doubled, at least, since the mid 1700s. It is easily possible for a woman to choose to have a child later in life, although many couples still choose to have children when they are younger adults.
Marrying young is also no longer as acceptable for a way to for settle a couple down (so they don't rampage like Beowulf). Now that higher education is much more accessible, young people are encouraged to pursue a degree in life, and even a career. Marriage at a young age is still common, but today the emphasis is placed on scholastic achievement and earning a comfortable living for oneself. When this path is chosen, it is not uncommon for an individual to sustain a well-paying career before even considering starting a family.
Because of all of these changes in society, many of Franklin's supporting statements no longer apply to people in the United States. Young marriage is hardly necessary today. Although there is nothing wrong it marrying young, society has simply changed its view over time, placing different responsibilities on young people than marriage.
Author: Guardian
Rating: PG
Summary: Last essay-as-prompt-response, I promise. Marching band season is over, my weeks are a little less cramped, and Saturdays no longer non-existant. Plus, NANO!
Marrying Young
Benjamin Franklin, in 1768, wrote "Thoughts on the Subject of Early Marriages" in support of the idea of marrying young. At the time, this went against popular opinion, but Franklin makes several points to support his statement. According to Franklin, young people can adapt to marriage life more easily than older couples, their lack of experience can be found in advice from older friends or parents, and that marrying young will settle them down and prevent them from doing foolish things. Franklin also states that older parents are likely to die while their children are still young, that starting to have children at a younger age increases population, and that those who wait to be married often find themselves alone. These points may all have been valid in his time, but today there have been many changes to society, including a much larger population, an increase in life expectancy, and highly accessible education.
In his time, Franklin's advice was necessary in a newly founded America. Marriage meant an almost sure promise of children, and population was something that the country desperately needed. An early marriage meant an even longer time span to procreate. When Franklin penned this letter to a young friend, the Declaration of Independence had not yet been signed, and life expectancy was only forty years. Today it is not necessary, at least in the United States, to worry about population size. We have an exponentially larger population today compared to the mid 1700s, so bearing children is often a choice made in due time rather than an expected duty. Thanks to advances in medicine, much of our population is made up of people who are well past the age of forty.
Life expectancy is another tremendous change that makes it unnecessary to marry at a young age. While having children in one's late twenties or thirties would be risky in Franklin's time, it is acceptable today. The length of a person's life has doubled, at least, since the mid 1700s. It is easily possible for a woman to choose to have a child later in life, although many couples still choose to have children when they are younger adults.
Marrying young is also no longer as acceptable for a way to for settle a couple down (so they don't rampage like Beowulf). Now that higher education is much more accessible, young people are encouraged to pursue a degree in life, and even a career. Marriage at a young age is still common, but today the emphasis is placed on scholastic achievement and earning a comfortable living for oneself. When this path is chosen, it is not uncommon for an individual to sustain a well-paying career before even considering starting a family.
Because of all of these changes in society, many of Franklin's supporting statements no longer apply to people in the United States. Young marriage is hardly necessary today. Although there is nothing wrong it marrying young, society has simply changed its view over time, placing different responsibilities on young people than marriage.