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rosemaryandrue's review
informative
medium-paced
5.0
In this short history of the legalities of marriage in the United States, Zug takes us through how marriage as an institution has shifted over the centuries and how the many reasons for marrying for something other than love, such money, status, or legal benefits, played its part in that.
Coming from a culture where marriage is considered an essential step of adulthood and is still sometimes arranged by one’s parents, I never really thought much about it, or why the legal institution of marriage is conflicts with the concept of marrying for love. I had expected perhaps a breezy discussion of a series of case studies, but what I got was a more serious contemplation of the intertwining of marriage, law, and women’s rights – not what I was looking for, maybe, but something I definitely liked better.
You’ll Do is divided into chapters which discuss different reasons why people get married apart from love, such as wealth, status, or even a defense against criminal charges. The main thrust of Zug’s argument is that inequality between man and wife is inevitable due to the way marriage is currently enshrined in the law. On the other hand, her argument is not against marriage itself – far from it. But to rely on love between spouses to make sure each is treated fairly is not a viable solution, especially considering marriage for non-love reasons is still fairly common around the world.
There’s a surprising amount of information and analysis packed into a fairly slim volume, using a number of historical examples and court cases to demonstrate Zug’s points. Despite the density of information though, her clear and concise manner of writing meant I never felt lost at sea. I certainly learned a lot more about the legal side of marriage than I was expecting, as well as how the rights that married people are entitled to are still evolving to this very day.