deborahmarkus7

A Translation For Ye Moderne Reader:

Dear Women:

Bad news. It's England in the seventeenth century, and men are the boss of us. And they're not being coy about it, either. There's so much to say about this I could go on all day, but let's talk about what that means when you get married. If you get married.

We're, like, centuries away from ever being able to divorce. Once you marry a guy, you're stuck with him. Plus he's pretty much allowed to treat you however he wants once he's your husband. People still use that phrase "lord and master" as a synonym for husbands, and they're saying it with a straight face.

So don't just marry a guy because he's hot and tells you he's your total love slave. They all say that. It would be pretty creepy even if it were true, and it really really isn't. Guys who act like your slave while you're courting (we don't really have dating yet) are the ones who can't wait to reverse the roles once that ring's on your finger. So watch out.

I'm working on that whole women-getting-to-go-to-college thing, but I gotta say, it's slow going so far. So if you marry the wrong guy and he treats you like crap, it's not as if you can just go back to school and get a career and a life of your own and tell him where to get off if he tries to boss you around.

So – be careful, okay? Marrying the wrong guy might be the last bad decision you're ever allowed to make.

Lots of love,
Miss Mary Astell