Quotes: Marriage (5)

Marriage 435 "…the real fright came when she discovered that at times her father and mother hated each other; this was like standing on the doorsill of a familiar room and seeing in a lightning flash that the floor was gone, you were on the edge of a bottomless pit." Katherine Anne Porter. “The Necessary Enemy.” 1948. Gross, ed. Essays. Through the eyes of a child.

Marriage 436 "Marriage is not the end but only the beginning of…." Katherine Anne Porter. “The Necessary Enemy.” 1948. Gross, ed. Essays. ...of what?

Marriage 436 "That the candidates for this blissful condition [marriage] have never seen an example of it [a blissful marriage], nor ever knew anyone who had, makes no difference; that is the ideal and they will achieve." Katherine Anne Porter. “The Necessary Enemy.” 1948. Gross, ed. Essays. The ideal of marriage gets in the way of the real achievement of a productive marriage.

Marriage 437 "If the couple discharged their religious and social obligations, furnished forth a copious progeny, kept their troubles to themselves, maintained public civility and died under the same roof, even if not always on speaking terms, it was rightly regarded as a successful marriage." Katherine Anne Porter. “The Necessary Enemy.” 1948. Gross, ed. Essays. A successful marriage.

Marriage 438 "…when she spoke a vow to love and honor her husband until death, she did a very reckless thing, for it is not possible by an act of the will to fulfill such an engagement." Katherine Anne Porter. “The Necessary Enemy.” 1948. Gross, ed. Essays. We're dealing with people here, not ideals. The sooner that people realize that they are marrying people, the sooner marriage will become productive and not destructive.