Marriage and prostitution differ only in price and contract length

Evidence

From the economic point of view, her situation is symmetrical to the married woman’s. “Between those who sell themselves through prostitution and those who sell themselves through marriage, the only difference resides in the price and length of the contract,” says Marro. — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1646

Categorization

• XREF: Echoes the ADDENDUM article ‘On Sacrifice’ parallel structure — socially honored roles and pariah roles shaped by same underlying exchange logic. — connects to: The institutionalization of monogamous bourgeois marriage created the demand for prostitution — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 214; Prostitution reduces sex to species-generic content matched by money — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 360; Courtesan value comes from recognized singularity while prostitute value is generic — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1681 (+4 more)
• CANDY: A crisp, quotable one-liner that provocatively equates two institutions normally kept apart.

Broader Connections

• Marriage is structured as an economic exchange where the bride’s body is purchased #corroborates (0.90) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1110
• Prostitution reduces sex to species-generic content matched by money #expands (0.85) — Georg Simmel, on individuality and social forms_…, 360
• Courtesan value comes from recognized singularity while prostitute value is generic #qualifies (0.80) — Simone de Beauvoir, The Second Sex, 1681
• Unpaid sex and paid sex face identical social stigma #expands (0.80)
• Arranged and forced marriages fall on a single continuum between consent and coercion #epitomizes (0.75)
• Illegal and legal markets differ in degree, not kind #expands (0.75) — Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Business of…, 608