In children’s storybooks, the princess always ends up marrying the prince and they live happily ever after, but is that truly a happy ending? According to Rebecca Traister in All The Single Ladies this “happily ever after” is not ideal.
In the past, women were expected to be married and begin having children at a young age. Recent drops in the marriage rate of the United States caused Traister to research, interview, and eventually conclude why young people, specifically women, are holding back on becoming married until an older age. Traister compares the expectations of a woman in the past and the expectations of a woman now. Previously, women received little education and stayed at home with children. Women today are escaping that lifestyle and beginning careers of their own without needing to depend on a man. This story of female independence displays the benefits of waiting to choose a husband until later in life.
Kitty Curtis is among the people Traister interviewed for further knowledge on this topic. Curtis emphasizes how she and her friends were all expecting to be married by the age of twenty-six. Now, at the age of twenty-six, none of her friends are married and her ideals have shifted. Jessica Bennett denied a proposal at the age of twenty-four in order to lead a more independent life and start her career. The major benefit of delaying marriage to create a better beginning to a career and to learn to survive without depending on another person is the leading cause of this drop in marriage rates.
I enjoyed reading All The Single Ladies because it made me question my expectations for when I want to get married. This book made me consider my career and how I want to balance my life. I would recommend this book to women who are just beginning their careers and have not gotten married yet. This book encourages them to imagine where they want their lives to lead and to explore the options of independence.
I think Traister’s biggest strength was interviewing both single and married women. She provides a perspective from both points of view. However, I believe she could have improved her organization of the people she interviewed. She shifts topics quickly which may cause confusion for the reader. Overall, this book presents how the women of our country have pushed their limits and challenged their expectations to build a more independent life for the women of the future, and I believe everyone should get the chance to read this book.
In the past, women were expected to be married and begin having children at a young age. Recent drops in the marriage rate of the United States caused Traister to research, interview, and eventually conclude why young people, specifically women, are holding back on becoming married until an older age. Traister compares the expectations of a woman in the past and the expectations of a woman now. Previously, women received little education and stayed at home with children. Women today are escaping that lifestyle and beginning careers of their own without needing to depend on a man. This story of female independence displays the benefits of waiting to choose a husband until later in life.
Kitty Curtis is among the people Traister interviewed for further knowledge on this topic. Curtis emphasizes how she and her friends were all expecting to be married by the age of twenty-six. Now, at the age of twenty-six, none of her friends are married and her ideals have shifted. Jessica Bennett denied a proposal at the age of twenty-four in order to lead a more independent life and start her career. The major benefit of delaying marriage to create a better beginning to a career and to learn to survive without depending on another person is the leading cause of this drop in marriage rates.
I enjoyed reading All The Single Ladies because it made me question my expectations for when I want to get married. This book made me consider my career and how I want to balance my life. I would recommend this book to women who are just beginning their careers and have not gotten married yet. This book encourages them to imagine where they want their lives to lead and to explore the options of independence.
I think Traister’s biggest strength was interviewing both single and married women. She provides a perspective from both points of view. However, I believe she could have improved her organization of the people she interviewed. She shifts topics quickly which may cause confusion for the reader. Overall, this book presents how the women of our country have pushed their limits and challenged their expectations to build a more independent life for the women of the future, and I believe everyone should get the chance to read this book.