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What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

Created: 03/14/17

Replies: 9

Posted Mar. 14, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

Meridian's mother makes sacrifices to help her daughter reach the University of Chicago, where Meridian can pursue her studies. Yet, later in the book, she writes a letter to her daughter (pages 128–29) in which she seems to reverse her support of Meridian's ambition. What do you think about the marital advice she gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?


Posted Mar. 19, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
renem

Join Date: 12/01/16

Posts: 292

RE: What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

When Meridian was living at home and at college, her mother knew she was intelligent and supported her interest fully. She was very proud of her. When Meri got married, her mother's advice then became based on her own martial experience and how, as a widow, she lost the security and comfort her husband gave her. She didn't want that for her daughter by way of divorce or separation. She was also being a realist, like her husband was, telling Meri that marriage isn't all fun and games and that sometimes you have to refocus to make it stronger.


Posted Mar. 21, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
pennyp

Join Date: 03/22/12

Posts: 353

RE: What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

I agree with everything the person before me said. In the beginning her mother encouraged her education and independence. Later in the book she kept encouraging her to make the best of the marriage, even saying things to the effect that she had also had to do so. I can't remember if this was before meridians father died, because by then, her mother knew how difficult it was to be alone. I think in the end, she just wanted to make sure Meridian was taken care of.


Posted Mar. 23, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dorothyh

Join Date: 01/23/15

Posts: 225

RE: What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

I liked her advice, my mother always said get an education so that you can support yourself and not be dependent on a man to do so for you. You never know what life will throw at you down the line


Posted Mar. 25, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
barbm

Join Date: 02/04/16

Posts: 77

RE: What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

Her mother was a woman of her time, when security was the most important thing to married woman. She counseled Meri out of love and her experience. At that time a marriage was 'success' for women, and her mother wanted her to be 'successful'. My husband put me through school and when I finished 9 years later, my mother (Meri's Mother's era) was so proud... she said 'You jusr wrote yourself an unlimited insurance policy" She too was focused on security more than fulfillment.


Posted Mar. 26, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
barb23703

Join Date: 10/04/15

Posts: 102

RE: What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

Meri's mother was firmly rooted in her own generation and the standards of that society. She was concerned that Meri did not seem happy, but fell back to what she knew as prescribed by her own generation and advised her to basically throw her identity into the care and feeding of her husband. Her mother should have known that this would not fulfill a woman of her daughter's intellect, but she was giving the only advice she knew to give. In reality, the loss of security is what caused Meri to grow.


Posted Mar. 27, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
caroln

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 101

RE: What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

Meridian's mother knew no other way - she was truly rooted in her generation as all woman of that era were. We have come a long way and now a mother would have several scenarios to drawn from.


Posted Mar. 30, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
dianaps

Join Date: 05/29/15

Posts: 460

RE: What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

Her mother's advice was old fashioned but it was all she knew and it was what Meridian believed to be true.


Posted Apr. 02, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Navy Mom

Join Date: 04/12/12

Posts: 294

RE: What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

Her mother's advice was very typical thinking of the time. Women were defined by their husbands and they should make a life through their husband. I think this was poor advice, but her mother felt she was helping Meridian. I think women still struggle with this and it is even made fun of in comical sitcoms today, or when people say she went to college to get her MRS degree. It is so degrading to women.


Posted Apr. 11, 2017 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
bookbagbethy

Join Date: 03/01/17

Posts: 7

RE: What do you think about the marital advice Meridian's mother gives her daughter, and what motivations do you think underlie that advice?

It's a generational idea, her mother supports her in education at the time, but then supports her in her marriage. She pushes Meridian's growth to the back where it is supposed to be, showing her that she must support her husband the way she has supported her.


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