The Morality of Marriage: And Other Essays on the Status and Destiny of Woman

by Mona Caird

Rethink marriage and the rights of women as the foundation for a moral renewal of society.

This edition unfolds enduring questions about conjugal life, individual liberty, and the social expectations that shape both men and women. It argues for greater respect for personal freedom in choosing and defining marriage, while outlining the challenges and reforms needed to move toward a more just and humane vision of family life.

Explores how education, social norms, and law influence marriage and the status of women.Discusses the idea that true freedom in marriage requires new kinds of contracts and deeper mutual respect.Frames a long view of cultural change, urging readers to consider responsibility, conscience, and social progress.Presents a practical argument for balancing liberty with social responsibility as part of a broader moral renaissance. Ideal for readers seeking thoughtful, historical perspectives on gender, marriage, and social reform, and for those interested in how ideas about family shape modern society.

Genres: Feminism, Victorian

258 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1897

About the author

Mona Caird (née Mona Alison, also called Alice Mona Henryson Caird) (c. 1854 - 1932) was a Scottish novelist and essayist whose feminist views sparked controversy in the late 19th century.

Writings of Mona Caird
* Whom Nature Leadeth (1883) novel
* One That Wins (1887) novel
* Marriage (1888) essay
* The Wing Of Azrael (1889) novel
* The Emancipation of the Family (1890) essay
* A Romance Of The Moors (1891) stories
* The Yellow Drawing-Room (1892) story
* A Defence of the So-Called Wild Women (1892) essay
* The Daughters Of Danaus (1894) novel
* The Sanctuary Of Mercy 1895) essay
* A Sentimental View Of Vivisection (1895) essay
* Beyond the Pale: An Appeal on Behalf of the Victims of Vivisection (1897) extended essay
* The Morality of Marriage and Other Essays on the Status and Destiny of Women (1897) essays
* The Pathway Of The Gods (1898) novel
* The Ethics of Vivisection (1900) essay
* The Logicians: An episode in dialogue (1902) play
* Romantic Cities Of Provence (1906) travel
* Militant Tactics and Woman's Suffrage (1908) essay
* The Stones Of Sacrifice (1915) essay
* The Great Wave (1931) novel