The Physiology of Marriage

The Physiology of Marriage coolly examines the economics and power relationships of seduction and love. It is a guide for men who potentially want to marry. Balzac proposes that marriage and the selection of a wife be treated as a science, and examines topics ranging from moral education to methods for foiling adulterous relationships. Extract: "A man ought not to marry without having studied anatomy, and dissected at least one woman..."