Of Marriage and Single Life
by
Francis Bacon
(Summary)
The essay deals with the most common
experience of human life. Sir Francis Bacon explores the themes of
independence, liberty, and marriage throughout his essay. Bacon comments on the
liberty that being single provides individuals who wish to live free from the
restraints and responsibilities of marriage. He also mentions that single men
have the time and money to give back to society in charitable ways. Bacon
believes that single men are often "best friends, best masters, best
servants." However, Bacon also writes that being single can make a man
"cruel and hardhearted" because he does not enjoy the tenderness and
love that married men often experience. Bacon proceeds to explain that he
believes that only middle-aged men should get married at the right time and
discusses why wives choose to marry bad husbands. Bacon recognizes that
independence gives single men liberty which provides them the opportunity and
capital to help society, but can also make them callous in certain situations.
He also explores the positives and negatives of being married throughout the
essay. The essay also reflects the reasons for not getting married and
qualities of married and unmarried persons. It also throws light on advantages
and disadvantages of being married and of remaining single.
The
essay also throws light on advantages and disadvantages of being married and of
remaining single. Bacon writes that unmarried or childless men tend to provide
the greatest benefit for public life, as they bestow their kindness on the public
instead of on their families. However, married men who are fathers are far more
careful when thinking about the future, as they know their progeny will have to
deal with it. Bacon writes, "Unmarried men are best friends, best masters,
best servants; but not always best subjects." Some professions are proper
only for unmarried persons. For example, a clergyman should not get married. If
he has a family, he will not save any money or affection to offer to others.
Unmarried men can devote themselves with greater freedom to others, but they
don't make the best subjects because they can run away and don't have to
subject themselves to other people's rule for the sake of their families.
Having a wife and children develops the softer feelings of a man. An unmarried
man may be relatively wealthier and thus, capable of making larger donations to
charity. However, they are deprived of the soft touch of feminine
companionship. As a result, they tend to be more brutal, vengeful and cruel in
their conduct. They do not get to engage in introspection to examine their
deeds from a moral standpoint. Women who are faithful to their husbands are
often proud of their chastity. If a wife thinks her husband to be wise, he will
command her loyalty as well as obedience. A wife does not respect a jealous husband:
"For a young man a wife is a mistress. For a middle-aged man she is a companion.
For an old man, she serves as a nurse. This means that a man may marry at any
age."
In
short, Bacon, in this essay, weighs the pros and cons of marriage chiefly from the
point of view of society, with only a nod to the personal benefits or
detriments.
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