Asha & Arranged Marriage

What a fascinating post, Asha! The term ‘e numbers’ is usually used to describe the chemicals added to food products. I’m also reminded of the catchphrase of an old UK television show called ‘The Prisoner’: ‘I’m not a number! I’m a free man!’

Seriously this is a delicate area, as the many comments on this post suggest. It comes down to two different approaches to marriage. One is the idea that it must be the expression of romantic love in the western sense. The other is that it is essentially a contract – an arrangement for mutual support, child rearing etc.

My understanding of your point of view is that you wish to combine elements of both approaches. Though you believe that ‘it's time to get out of this conventional arranged marriage system’ you have not completely rejected this way of doing things. You’re happy with the basic idea of an arranged marriage but you want one which is based on love.

So while your parents present you with potential suitors, you will ultimately make the decision as to your ‘perfect match’. Is that a fair summation? Or have I misunderstood you?

A few technical points:

1. Something I advise all my students to do is to make more use of space on the page. Text is much easier to read when there is a double space between paragraphs and single one at the end of sentences.
2. you don't laugh – should be ‘won’t laugh’.
3. In my place - This is not quite right here. You could use 'in my culture' or 'my country'.
4. Find out – should be ‘find’. You use ‘find out’ for new information e.g. I found out how difficult it was ...
5. My parents very well believe in horoscopes – should be either ‘are strong believers in’ or ‘strongly believe in’.

Vocabulary

Delicate – sensitive, needs to be handled carefully
Suitors - someone looking for a marriage partner
Ultimately – finally, in the end

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