Forced

Arranged marriage can be considered positive or negative depending on one’s culture.  In some countries like India arranged marriage is the norm. In other countries like the United States, where a mixture of cultures and beliefs exist, arranged marriage has mixed views. Arranged marriage can be defined as: “Prior arrangement”, “Absense of a lengthy relationship before arrangement”, “Third party intervention”, and “Country; societal segments” (www.professorshouse.com). An arranged marriage has multiple categories; one of those categories being “forced marriage”. In Dorothy Scarbourough’s “The Wind”, Letty is forced into an arranged marriage and lives unhappily until she breaks free from her imposed way of life. Just like Letty, many men and women suffer from stress and violence in a forced marriage.

A forced arranged marriage differs from a traditional arranged marriage. A forced marriage can be defined as:

…an arranged marriage where the child absolutely has no say. What he or she thinks is unimportant. What matters is that the union take place for the sake of tradition or to serve the social or economic interests of a particular cultural group or community.  If the son or daughter refuses, a punishment may be administered. (www.professorshouse.com)

In other words, a child or adult does not get to choose their lifetime partner. Their partner is chosen for them. A forced marriage binds people into an undesirable situation with a complete stranger with which they may not share any common. Many Americans today would not be able to understand or even begin to imagine the binding forces of an arranged marriage. I cannot envision a lifetime commitment to a stranger and how unhappy I would feel. I could not image how awkward it would be to live in such a circumstance.

Forced marriages lead to violent situations and crime within the marriage. Most “…victims of forced marriage…” are victims of “…domestic violence…” (refuge.org.uk 2). What separates an arranged marriage from a forced arranged marriage is if both individuals to be wed give consent and based on the factor of duress (refuge.org.uk 6). Duress can be “…both physical and emotional pressure. Victims can suffer many forms of physical and emotional damage including being held unlawfully captive, assaulted and repeatedly raped” (www.scotland.gov.uk). If consent from both the bride and groom is given the marriage is not considered forced. When consent is given, the marriage would be considered a traditional arranged marriage. The key word “consent” keeps an arranged marriage legal. A forced marriage is a violation of human rights “…and cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis” (www.scotland.gov.uk). There is no reason to force someone to make a commitment with the other gender. Getting stuck in a forced marriage is not good and a sticky situation, but some situations are unpreventable. In some countries people do not have the choice or freedom of choosing their spouse. I can only imagine how scared, confused, uncomfortable, upset, and angry one would be in this type of position. A forced marriage seems inescapable like jail and torturous to one’s will.

Men and women around the world are forced into arranged marriages against their will. Victims of this type of bondage cannot help their destined path. Many people can blame force on the need to preserve one’s culture and religion. In the end excuses cannot justify the inhumane acts of a forced marriage. Forced arranged marriage needs to stop.

Work Cited

Alamy. Government Considering Making Forced Marriage a Criminal Offense. 2011. Photograph. The Telegraph. Web. 23 Apr 2012. < http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/8951459/Forced-marriage-victims-could-number-8000-as-ministers-plan-to-make-it-illegal.html>.

“Arranged Marriages.” 2012. Web. 20 April 2012. < http://www.professorshouse.com/Relationships/Marriage-Advice/Articles/Arranged-Marriages/>.

“Forced.” 2009. Photograph. Islamization Watch. Web. 23 Apr 2012.

“Forced Marriage.” 29 January 2007. Web. 22 April 2012. < http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Equality/18500/Forced>.

“Forced Marriage in the UK.” 2010. Web. 22 Apr 2012. < http://refuge.org.uk/files/1001-Forced-Marriage-Middle-East-North-East-Africa.pdf>

Scarborough, Dorothy. “From The Wind.” 1925. The Literary West: An Anthology of Western American Literature. Ed. Thomas J. Lyon. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 131-140. Print.

24 June 2009. Photograph. 23 April 2012. JPEG file. < http://www.google.com/imgres?q=forced+marriage&num=10&um=1&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&biw=1221&bih=667&tbs=isz:m&tbm=isch&tbnid=LeHQfuG5fodjoM:&imgrefurl=http://www.udi.no/Norwegian-Directorate-of-Immigration/Central-topics/Forced-marriage-/&docid=wn_Pl32-LVdcAM&imgurl=http://www.udi.no/upload/Nyheter/Nyheter%2525202009/Tvangsekteskapillustrajon.jpg&w=400&h=314&ei=Ar-VT_uAO6TU2AW4u8D_BA&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=623&vpy=152&dur=59&hovh=199&hovw=253&tx=160&ty=121&sig=108634776039428013476&sqi=2&page=1&tbnh=121&tbnw=164&start=0&ndsp=19&ved=1t:429,r:9,s:0,i:142>.