Term Paper on "Theme of Marriage in the Book Village Life in the Late Tsarist Russia"

Term Paper 4 pages (1278 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Russia

Olga Semyonova documented what village life was like in late Tsarist Russia at the turn of the 20th century. It was a very difficult time, especially for women who had to deal with a range of problems including spousal abuse, handling the household economy and dealing with childbirth issues. Although a century has gone by since then, in many respects the woman's lot in Russia is not much better. They may have different issues with which to content, but yet they face myriad daily concerns.

Semyonova wrote that husbands often began beating their wives on the wedding night, if the woman showed any indication of prior sexual behavior. "A young husband who finds out his bride has not been chaste sometimes beats her cruelly on his wedding night"(21). This was just the beginning of such instances to come. "The peasants consider it a man's duty to beat his wife if she, as they say, 'brings home' another man's baby..." which happened, for example, when the man was a soldier and away from home for a period of time. However, many of the men beat their wives every time they got drunk. Or, in some cases, they would fall asleep on top of the woman after intercourse and not move for hours. Their wives would just have to lie their and accept their fate, or be beat up again.

Ironically, since the women were responsible for the economic situation of the household, many times she would be more concerned about what was doing the hitting rather than what was being hit. "The woman grieves more over a broken fork than she does over her swollen side" (21).

Among a young wife's responsibility was producing a new generation (95). Until she had a surviving child, she was not considered a full member of the household. Women were expected to work throughout their entire pregnancy, only given two to five days after the baby was born. Their husbands usually demanded sex only a couple of weeks after delivery. The difficult deliveries, rapid return to sex and hard work in the fields soon after birth were very difficult on the women and often led to collapsed uterus (18) and other physical problems. This painful condition would be semi-cured by the midwife. Despite how difficult it was to have enough food, a woman became pregnant many times, in some cases up to the age of 50.

Since the women were also responsible for the family economics and making sure there was enough food for all, abortions and infanticide were not unusual. In order to promote abortion, the local landlord gave them a brew of "Cossack juniper" that accelerated labor (57). Illegitimate or sickly and/or deformed babies were often killed or smothered in bed. A woman would give birth alone and dump the baby in a river or somewhere in the bushes. The author related one story where a widow put the newborn in a trunk for safekeeping after it was born and then threw it in the pond when no one was around. Healthy children could help the family with chores and in the fields, so they had a much better chance of surviving. Women did not receive much in return for their "labors." The husband owned the house, grain, animals and tools (124).

The situation on Russia does not appear much better these days. A number of minimal legal protections for women either have failed to address the existing conditions or to supply adequate support. In the 1990s, growing financial pressures and greatly reduced government programs forced women out of the households into employment, despite the fact that most available positions for females were as substandard and more difficult to obtain. Such conditions have resulted in a rising divorce rate, fewer marriages and a declining birthrate as well as the general deterioration… READ MORE

How to Reference "Theme of Marriage in the Book Village Life in the Late Tsarist Russia" Term Paper in a Bibliography

Related Term Papers:

Is Marriage Beneficial to People's Lives? Essay

Marriage Happiness

Is Marriage Beneficial to People's Lives?

Are married people happier than unmarried people? Discuss the research on this, and whether the data show that getting married can increase… read more

Essay 3 pages (909 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Family / Dating / Marriage

---

Entomology of Village Life Essay

Entomology of Village Life," there are different characters who are friends. There is Buddy and Colin who are great friends. Colin and Buddy encountered a scenario that made them witnesses… read more

Essay 15 pages (4732 words) Sources: 11 Topic: Computers / IT / Internet

---

Marriage Counseling Book Review

Secrets of a Great Marriage

In the last few decades, there has been seen a constant decrease in the rate of people who are getting married. This shows that people… read more

Book Review 4 pages (1215 words) Sources: 1 Topic: Family / Dating / Marriage

---

Marriage Term Paper

Marriage is arguably one of the most poignant themes at the core of Jane Austen's novels. The plots of her most famous books generally revolve around the subject of marriage… read more

Term Paper 4 pages (1570 words) Sources: 3 Style: APA Topic: Family / Dating / Marriage

---

Marriage Involves a Natural, Indissoluble Union Essay

Marriage involves a natural, indissoluble union which is perfected by the sacrament between one man and one woman that is directed towards the purpose of the preservation of the human… read more

Essay 3 pages (1225 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Family / Dating / Marriage

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>