Greater male wealth produces greater female servitude, while shared poverty equalizes the marriage bond.

Evidence

It is important to see that the greater the property owned by the husband, the greater this servitude: the propertied classes are those in which woman’s dependence has always been the most concrete; even today, the patriarchal family survives among rich landowners; the more socially and economically powerful man feels, the more he plays the paterfamilias with authority. On the contrary, shared destitution makes the conjugal link reciprocal. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 210

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Economic change converts marriage from servitude into reciprocal free contract — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1093; Women’s economic dependence makes them define themselves through men’s desires. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 298; Marriage is structured as an economic exchange where the bride’s body is purchased — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1110 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• The poor serf marriage grounded equality through shared nothingness and mutual labor bonds. #exemplifies (0.90) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 210
• Economic change converts marriage from servitude into reciprocal free contract #expands (0.85) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1093
• Women’s economic dependence makes them define themselves through men’s desires. #expands (0.80) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 298
• Marriage is structured as an economic exchange where the bride’s body is purchased #expands (0.75) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1110
• Economic helplessness drives young women to aggressively pursue marriage #expands (0.72) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1126