Marriage for financial reasons: Is it fair to qualify it as “prostitution?”

Marriage, at the turn of the century, was primarily considered as a strategy for transmitting wealth between two families rather than a loving union between two individuals. At a time when celibacy hardly existed after the age of thirty, a whole network of solidarity was created so as not to find oneself on the margins of society; therefore single. The “Belle Époque”, a period where joy of life and pleasures reined, people met through various means.

In the first place, we are able to note that in the village, and more than in the city, more freedom was given to young people since, from childhood, they rub shoulders, unlike middle-class circles. Places predestined for work can prove to be a vector of meet ups.

First of all, we can cite the vigils, where families gathered in order to work. These evenings, favorable to meet ups, were attended by all women and men of marriage age.

Then, second place of work conducive to meet ups, the hype, despite the separation between men who were outside, and women inside, just like the vigils, it was traditional that they meet after a big effort in the evening around a convivial meal.

In addition, popular festivals allowed men and women from each village to meet in the same place.

However, all these places favorable to meet ups remained despite everything limited because all the young people of each village or the neighboring village had known each other since childhood, and knew each other at least; all.

Still in the villages, markets could be effective despite the fact that the separation of the sexes is still important. Indeed, the men sold and therefore stayed all day long while the women came just for the time of their purchases.

In the same vein, many places of entertainment are appearing and developing in the city such as restaurants.

Even if in an urban environment and this, more than in the city, there was a search for pleasure, the meeting would undoubtedly lead to marriage which had to be of interest.

Despite everything, even if it is common belief to say that hetero-gamy existed; studies show that the social origins of spouses are mostly identical. Indeed, hetero-gamy is only an appearance or is an exception. A marriage was, before, a way to perpetuate a heritage. The patterns of life were already more or less defined in advance by the families among themselves and few sought to question them. Most marriage ended up being formed between couples that share the same social status, rich with rich, poor with poor.

So, considering history and traditions, as described above, is it fair to qualify “interest-based marriages” as prostitution?

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