# Getting Married — Chapters explained

> Chapter companions for Getting Married by George Bernard Shaw.

- [Preface to Getting Married](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/preface-to-getting-married.md): The preface introduces the central debate surrounding marriage as an institution, critiquing its legal and social foundations, and setting the stage for the play's exploration of marriage as a flawed but necessary social
- [The Revolt Against Marriage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-revolt-against-marriage.md): The chapter critiques the dangerous nonsense surrounding marriage, condemning both the inhumanity of marriage law and the anarchical tendency of rebellious spirits to form illicit unions. The author advises young women a
- [Marriage Nevertheless Inevitable](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/marriage-nevertheless-inevitable.md): The chapter argues that despite widespread revolt against marriage, it remains practically compulsory for normal people due to legal, social, and economic pressures. Open violation leads to ruin, and even illicit unions 
- [What Does the Word Marriage Mean?](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/what-does-the-word-marriage-mean.md): This chapter examines the ambiguous and varied meanings of the word 'marriage,' arguing that it is not a fixed natural institution but a social construct with different forms across cultures and legal systems. Shaw criti
- [Survivals of Sex Slavery](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/survivals-of-sex-slavery.md): This chapter critiques the institution of marriage by exposing its foundations in property law and sex slavery, arguing that current marriage laws are based on the morality of the tenth commandment, which treats women as
- [The New Attack on Marriage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-new-attack-on-marriage.md): This chapter argues that the contemporary attack on marriage is no longer based on romantic or libertine objections, but on the demographic crisis caused by declining birth rates. It contrasts the old religious revolt ag
- [A Forgotten Conference of Married Men](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/a-forgotten-conference-of-married-men.md): The author recounts a conference of respectable married men organized by Hugh Price Hughes, revealing their complacent and unreflective view of marriage as a license for domestic comfort and routine, devoid of higher int
- [Hearth and Home](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/hearth-and-home.md): This chapter argues that English home life is fundamentally flawed—dishonorable, unvirtuous, and corrupt—and that if marriage cannot produce better individuals, both marriage and the nation are at risk. It critiques the 
- [Too Much of a Good Thing](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/too-much-of-a-good-thing.md): This chapter critiques the idealization of constant familial love, arguing that excessive affection and preoccupation with domestic sentiment can be harmful, particularly to children, and that healthy life requires balan
- [Large and Small Families](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/large-and-small-families.md): This chapter contrasts the social dynamics of large versus small families, arguing that large families provide better social training and resist excessive sentimentality, while small families foster morbid sentimentality
- [The Gospel of Laodicea](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-gospel-of-laodicea.md): The chapter argues against the notion that one can have too much of a good thing, warning that excessive goodness is as dangerous as excessive badness. It criticizes the idea of maintaining heroic virtue continuously, co
- [For Better for Worse](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/for-better-for-worse.md): The chapter critiques the marriage service as a commercial contract disguised by religious and poetic sentiment, arguing that it forces two people in a transient, passionate state to vow lifelong fidelity. It observes th
- [Wanted: An Immoral Statesman](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/wanted-an-immoral-statesman.md): The chapter argues that a statesman dealing with marriage must prioritize human nature over public opinion, which is a jumble of superstitions and hypocrisies. It contends that a government should prefer healthy illegiti
- [The Limits of Democracy](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-limits-of-democracy.md): Shaw argues that democracy is not about governing according to the ignorance of majorities, especially on sexual morals, but rather that statesmen must convince voters they know better on methods, while the voter's role 
- [The Science and Art of Politics](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-science-and-art-of-politics.md): This chapter explores the nature of political science as skilled work, distinguishing between the devising of institutions (statesmanship) and their execution (officialdom). It argues that democracy is appropriate for de
- [Why Statesmen Shirk the Marriage Question](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/why-statesmen-shirk-the-marriage-question.md): The chapter argues that reforming marriage is a politically perilous endeavor for any Prime Minister, who would face public vilification and opposition from the press and electorate. The reformer must proceed without con
- [The Question of Population](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-question-of-population.md): This chapter examines the demographic implications of declining marriage and birth rates, weighing the need for population maintenance against the sterilizing effects of urban civilization and women's increasing refusal 
- [The Right to Motherhood](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-right-to-motherhood.md): Shaw argues that the existing marriage system fails to address women's revolt against compulsory barrenness, asserting that women have an absolute right to sexual experience and motherhood, which cannot be satisfied by a
- [Monogamy, Polygyny and Polyandry](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/monogamy-polygyny-and-polyandry.md): This chapter examines the institution of monogamy not as an ethical ideal but as a demographic and economic necessity. It argues that the number of spouses permitted is determined by the sex ratio in the population, and 
- [The Male Revolt Against Polygyny](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-male-revolt-against-polygyny.md): This chapter examines the dynamics of polygyny and polyandry, arguing that women tolerate polygyny when it allows access to high-quality men, while men oppose it due to the resulting scarcity of mates. It suggests that m
- [Difference Between Oriental and Occidental Polygyny](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/difference-between-oriental-and-occidental-polygyny.md): This chapter contrasts Eastern and Western polygyny, arguing that Eastern polygyny is limited by law and custom, whereas Western attempts at polygyny fail due to demographic ratios and the freedom of women. The author co
- [The Old Maid's Right to Motherhood](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-old-maid-s-right-to-motherhood.md): Shaw argues that the right to bear children should not be contingent on marriage, particularly for capable, independent women who are deemed 'superfluous' in monogamic reckoning. He contends that the best mothers are tho
- [Ibsen's Chain Stitch](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/ibsen-s-chain-stitch.md): This chapter examines the problem of 'superfluous women' and the question of who will father their children, distinguishing between women who are involuntarily single and those who voluntarily refuse marriage. It argues 
- [Remoteness of the Facts from the Ideal](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/remoteness-of-the-facts-from-the-ideal.md): This chapter contrasts the idealized notion of marriage with its flawed reality, arguing that the institution is already unraveling under social pressures. It points out that legal changes in other countries have not des
- [Difficulty of Obtaining Evidence](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/difficulty-of-obtaining-evidence.md): Shaw argues that true knowledge of marriage is nearly impossible to obtain because society's idealization of marriage and its punitive attitude toward deviation force everyone into hypocrisy. He notes that while we can g
- [Marriage as a Magic Spell](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/marriage-as-a-magic-spell.md): This chapter argues that the marriage ceremony is a useless magic spell, incapable of instantly changing the nature of human relationships or fixing affections for life. It highlights that familiarity and compatibility a
- [The Impersonality of Sex](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-impersonality-of-sex.md): This chapter argues that the sexual relation authorized by marriage is not inherently intimate or personal, but can exist between strangers with nothing in common. It critiques the romantic illusion that love is a perman
- [The Economic Slavery of Women](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-economic-slavery-of-women.md): This chapter argues that marriage, as currently constituted, forces women into economic dependence on men, reducing them to a form of sex slavery compounded by economic necessity. It critiques the 'husband hunting' that 
- [Unpopularity of Impersonal Views](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/unpopularity-of-impersonal-views.md): The chapter discusses the difficulty of getting average citizens to adopt impersonal views on marriage, as personal interests and comforts are deeply entangled in the institution. It notes that both men and women have pe
- [Impersonality Is Not Promiscuity](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/impersonality-is-not-promiscuity.md): The chapter argues against the superstition that sexual instinct is inherently promiscuous, distinguishing between impersonality and promiscuity. It asserts that selection and preference are natural, using the example of
- [Domestic Change of Air](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/domestic-change-of-air.md): The chapter argues that changes in marital partners are not inherently harmful and may even be beneficial, using examples of a woman married five times and a household of three intermarried families to illustrate that va
- [Home Manners Are Bad Manners](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/home-manners-are-bad-manners.md): This chapter examines how the indissolubility of marriage allows spouses to abandon basic civility and kindness at home, treating their partners and children with a level of rudeness they would never display in public. I
- [Spurious “Natural” Affection](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/spurious-natural-affection.md): Shaw argues that the convention of natural affection within marriage and family is a manufactured emotion used to mask the intolerable situations created by indissoluble marriage. He criticizes how this pretense leads to
- [Carrying the War Into the Enemy’s Country](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/carrying-the-war-into-the-enemy-s-country.md): The chapter argues that once the desire to defend current marriage and family arrangements is abandoned, a strong case against them becomes clear. It contrasts the idealized British home with the reality of a filthy 'Aug
- [Shelley and Queen Victoria](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/shelley-and-queen-victoria.md): The chapter argues that the marriage question must be confronted openly, warning against hypocritical mudslinging and comparing the economic dependence of women in marriage to prostitution. It contrasts the enlightened v
- [A Probable Effect of Giving Women the Vote](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/a-probable-effect-of-giving-women-the-vote.md): This chapter argues that women's political emancipation will lead to stricter legal enforcement of sexual morality, forcing society to critically examine and potentially reform its marriage laws and moral standards.
- [The Personal Sentimental Basis of Monogamy](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-personal-sentimental-basis-of-monogamy.md): Shaw argues that true monogamy rests on a sentimental, intimate bond that cannot be shared among three people, contrasting it with mere legal or farmyard conceptions of marriage. He uses the example of Nelson and the Ham
- [Divorce](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/divorce.md): This chapter argues that the legal focus on adultery as the primary ground for divorce is misguided, and that more serious grounds such as cruelty, criminality, or incompatibility should be considered. It critiques the u
- [Importance of Sentimental Grievance](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/importance-of-sentimental-grievance.md): The chapter argues that divorce laws should prioritize sentimental grievances and avoid creating conventions that pressure individuals to seek divorce based on specific grounds like jealousy. It advocates for private div
- [Divorce Without Asking Why](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/divorce-without-asking-why.md): The chapter argues that the question 'Why?' should never be asked of a divorce petitioner, drawing a parallel to the natural right to life and liberty. It contends that imposing marriage on unwilling individuals is ensla
- [Economic Slavery Again the Root Difficulty](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/economic-slavery-again-the-root-difficulty.md): This chapter argues that until women achieve economic independence, marriage will remain a form of slavery. It challenges the notion that allowing divorce equates to frivolous abandonment, and questions the government's 
- [Labor Exchanges and the White Slavery](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/labor-exchanges-and-the-white-slavery.md): This chapter explores the implications of women achieving economic independence through labor exchanges, arguing that such independence would dissolve unhappy marriages maintained solely by economic pressure and necessit
- [Divorce Favorable to Marriage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/divorce-favorable-to-marriage.md): The chapter argues that divorce is not the destruction of marriage but a necessary condition for its maintenance, allowing for re-assortment of ill-suited couples and making marriage more appealing. It contrasts England'
- [Male Economic Slavery and the Rights of Bachelors](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/male-economic-slavery-and-the-rights-of-bachelors.md): Shaw argues that economic pressures force many talented men into prolonged bachelorhood, which in turn creates a demand for prostitution as a temporary substitute for marriage. He contends that both prostitution and bach
- [The Pathology of Marriage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-pathology-of-marriage.md): Shaw addresses the pathology and criminology of marriage, acknowledging the existence of disease and contagion but choosing to focus not on obvious horrors but on the ignorance of normal, respectable people. He criticize
- [The Criminology of Marriage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-criminology-of-marriage.md): This chapter examines the pathological and legal dimensions of marriage, arguing that marriage law creates a private 'Alsatia' where violence and coercion are legalized, and that love itself can become a tyranny requirin
- [Does It Matter?](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/does-it-matter.md): Shaw counters the complacent argument that because most couples get on well, marriage law is fine. He compares it to a magistrate ignoring burglary or a fireman ignoring a fire until it's their own house. He insists that
- [Christian Marriage](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/christian-marriage.md): Shaw critiques the Christian Church's historical and contradictory stance on marriage, tracing its origins from a reaction against pagan sensuality and an expectation of the world's end, which led to a view of sex as obs
- [Divorce a Sacramental Duty](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/divorce-a-sacramental-duty.md): The chapter argues that marriage, as a sacrament, requires divorce when it loses its spiritual grace, criticizing the Church for defending indissoluble marriage and pointing to the Reformation's failure to fully reform m
- [Othello and Desdemona](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/othello-and-desdemona.md): Shaw uses Shakespeare's Othello and Antony to illustrate the proprietary view of spouses as property, comparing it to a woman's disgust at the idea of 'lending' her husband. He argues that such views must be eradicated f
- [What Is to Become of the Children?](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/what-is-to-become-of-the-children.md): Shaw argues that children should not be used as an obstacle to divorce, noting that broken homes arise from many causes and that unhappy households are bad for children. He advocates for state intervention to dissolve ha
- [The Cost of Divorce](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/the-cost-of-divorce.md): Shaw argues that current divorce laws are ineffective because they are prohibitively expensive, making divorce accessible only to the wealthy. He proposes making divorce as cheap, easy, and private as marriage, allowing 
- [Conclusions](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/conclusions.md): Shaw argues that the solution to making sexual relations decent and honorable lies in women's economic independence and the ability to dissolve unhappy marriages. He criticizes the current system of specifying grounds fo
- [Getting Married](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/getting-married.md): A disquisitory play that examines the institution of marriage, its societal implications, and the various perspectives on its necessity and reform.
- [Getting Married](https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters/getting-married.md): Getting Married — Stage Lens: dramatic beats, line helps that follow your scroll, and stage picture. Read to understand, not to collect a closed thesis.

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/getting_married_se/chapters