Do you want to get married?

I don't know about you, but the question I have heard since the age of sixteen was, "when are you getting married?" My mother claims that our extended family was always joking when they asked me this question, but I feel like the frequency and repetitiveness of the question means that this was no joke: Everyone expects me to get married.

This is the culture I grew up in. Marriage was a box to be ticked on the list of my life accomplishments. I am almost 24 now, and for some reason, I can feel the pressure of this question even more acutely. It doesn't matter what I am doing in other aspects of my life, according to many in my life the one thing I should accomplish is marriage and motherhood. Unfortunately, I have started to wonder if this is something I even want...why do people get married?

Committed

This is what brought me to Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert, who is known for her book, Eat Pray Love. In this next step of Gilbert's journey, she and her partner Felipe are left with no other choice but to get married if they want to live together in the US. For this couple, committing to each other was not their fear, it was their fear of the harsh nature of divorce, and their promise to never get married. With no other choice, Gilbert and her partner move abroad while they wait for Felipe's fiancé visa, and during this time she embarks on a new journey, talking to people about why they chose to get married and what taking that step meant to them.

I loved this book because Gilbert was able to seamlessly intertwine her own thoughts with a broader historical and cultural picture, and she acknowledged many perspectives surrounding the concept of marriage. However, I feel that it is important to note that Gilbert is not attacking marriage; making that commitment can be a beautiful and romantic thing, and asking why people take this step in their lives was important for her as she came to terms with having to do it again.

This story was beautifully written, and worth 4 stars. To share any thoughts, questions or review requests, please comment below, email me (theopinionatedbookworm@gmail.com) or follow me on Instagram (@theopinionatedbookworm1).

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