For centuries, marriage has been regarded as a scared bond forged by the love, respect and devotion of a couple who have vowed to spend the rest of their lives together. the vows, usually made in the presence of god, reflects the importance of being true to this celebration of love until death do they part. However, in today's rapidly changing modern society, many mock this age-old tradition through the legal system of divorce. the word "marriage" has lost its meaning and has been taken advantage of in our society. Young people today consider "marriage" as old-fashioned and complicated. Taking a look at the increasing rates of divorce and co-habitation, one can indeed say that perceptions of marriage in society today has indeed changed.

"Marriage is not a word- It is a sentence" reflects the perceptions of our society that marriage is complicated that carries with it the burden of a life-long commitment. The chase for material wealth has led many people to focus on their careers instead of emotional and spiritual fulfilment in their lives. consequently, many choose to remain single as they do not see the necessity of life-long companionship and often prefer having freedom of choice to be with whoever they want, whenever they want.

This fickle-minded nature of human beings has led to the belief that monogamy is impossible to practise. This fear of responsibility in a life-long commitment has caused people to abhor the notion of spending their lives with one person. This fear of commitment is linked to a fear of ensuring sexual and emotional fidelity has caused people to feel that marriage is complicated and prone to failure due to man's fickle-mindedness. The younger generation in particular feel that they are too young to carry suck a heavy burden on their shoulders and choose to avoid marriage as much as they can.

Another perception of marriage in today's society is that all marriage should lead up to families. Many people feel that the reason for marriage is to procreate. This misconception that a matrimonial union is only complete with children has increased the sense of burden of people associate with marriage.

Mounting divorce rates have also contributed to the changing perceptions of marriage. While some feel that there is no point in getting hitched if it means ending up separated, there are also others who have taken the sacred vows of marriage lightly. The people who do not feel the need to get married are usually the ones who fear that marriage vows will not be upheld in the long run. These people see no point in getting married and prefer to cohabitation instead.

There is also a section of society who will take the marriage vows lightly due to easy divorce rules. They entered a scared union easily without thinking of responsibilities that lie ahead and pull out when their matrimonial bed of roses grows its thorns. Although no marriage is perfectly happy, divorce enables married couples to take the easy way out when the going gets tough.

Although many people feel that marriage has become troublesome, there are still some who believe in the devotion, truth and love that surround a matrimonial union. These people tend to consider all consequence responsibilities before taking the plunge into married life. The seriousness of these vows prompt them to focus on making their marriage work. The changing perceptions of people have resulted in the mockery of this sacred union and the declining importance of traditional values and beliefs.

Nevertheless, "marriage" is still a word withs its connotation of love, honor and fidelity, regardless of people's changes in mindset and perceptions.


CHEN ZHENGXIAN(17)