Marriage, As It Was, As It Is, and As It Should Be: A Plea for Reform

"Marriage, As It Was, As It Is, and As It Should Be: A Plea for Reform" by Annie Besant is a socio-political treatise written in the late 19th century. The book critiques the existing marriage laws and their oppressive impact on women, advocating for reform to achieve equality in marriage. Besant argues that the legal framework surrounding marriage treats women as property, stripping them of their rights and agency. The opening of the work outlines historical and philosophical perspectives on human rights, highlighting the ongoing struggle for women to attain the same rights as men. Besant discusses the evolution of marriage from a coercive and transactional institution in barbaric societies to its current state, where women still face significant legal inequalities within marriage. She attacks this system as a relic of the past, arguing that it perpetuates control and subjugation, thus calling for both legal and societal reforms to recognize marriage as a partnership of equals, devoid of the hierarchical structure that currently exists.