Abstract This paper discusses the moral issue of adultery. It defines marriage as based on conditional promises including sexual exclusivity, trust, and maintaining a good relationship with one another. The paper goes on to discuss that when partners in a marriage agree to allow sexual relationships with other people, then having affairs is not adultery. The person must be open and honest to the marriage partner and as long as the person took care of the physical and mental needs of the partner.
Abstract This paper discusses adultery and its causes. The paper focuses on the empty nest syndrome and presents various points about the syndrome and how it may contribute to an extramarital affair. In addition, the writer provides suggestions on how to avoid empty nest syndrome based adultery.
From the Paper "In recent years the topic of adultery has moved from hushed whispers behind closed doors to the evening news and presidential inquests. Adultery has been splashed on every magazine cover, and discussed on every talk show and is no longer the taboo topic that it used to be. There are many situations that trigger adultery including the empty nest syndrome. When children grow up and move away the parents are often left with an almost bottomless pit of loneliness and emptiness. This can cause someone to turn to outside companionship in an effort to fill that void, and the result is an extra marital affair. There are many reasons that an empty next leads to an affair and there are several things that can be done to counteract its temptation."
Abstract Adultery and infidelity have become a very prominent problem in today's society. They are spreading faster than many people could imagine and are almost uncontainable. This paper examines the various issues surrounding unfaithfulness in the genders such as history, the media, religion and how adultery can possibly be prevented from the beginning.
From the Paper "Way back in time, adultery was considered as a serious crime, as murder is considered today. Those people who were caught in extra-martial affairs were either shunned from their communities or were subjected to massive humiliation. These steps were taken to frighten people who would be prone to committing acts of adultery. Adultery was something that lower class people would be involved in because it was such a dirty thing. Today our culture has gone from adultery being the worse thing a person could do, to now being something that's considered common amongst everyone. Why people commit adultery can sometimes still be a blunder. Groups in society think it's because the person isn't receiving all of his or her requirements at home, and others think it's a sick habit."
From the Paper " ADULTERY AND THE MEDIA
Introduction
This research paper presents an evaluation of adultery and how it is treated in the media. Incidence and prevalence of adultery are noted. The history of media coverage, values, attitudes, and beliefs, and current media coverage of adultery are discussed.
Incidence & Prevalence
The National Opinion Research Center reports that 20 percent of American men and 10 percent of American women are not faithful in their marriages and gender is the most constant predictor of marital infidelity. Media reports cite higher percentages. Alfred Kinsey stated that around half of the men and a quarter of the women in his samples had committed adultery. Playboy.."
Examines the novel's condemnation of judgmental Puritan community and the heroism of the protagonist, the nature of good and evil, adultery, hypocrisy and compassion.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 5 sources, 1999, $ 47.95
Abstract "Hester Prynne, the protagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, is ostracized from her community and forced to wear a cloth "A" signifying she has committed the sin of adultery. However, the novel is a condemnation not of Hester but of the community which has so harshly and hypocritically judged her
From the Paper "Hester Prynne, the protagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, is ostracized from her community and forced to wear a cloth "A" signifying she has committed the sin of adultery. However, the novel is a condemnation not of Hester but of the community which has so harshly and hypocritically judged her. Hawthorne's novel portrays both the inhumane effects of the cruel enforcement of the morality of Puritanism, and the courage and love of Hester as she lives to transcend that inhumane cruelty. Hester is shown to suffer not because she is evil, but because her human frailties have been judged evil by a community which refuses to accept such frailty in its members. Ironically, her lover is the man who represents more than any other those Puritan values. In Hawthorne's view, Hester is far more human and moral than the others in the community because she accepts ..."
Abstract This paper examines the book "Australian Literature: An Anthology of Writing From the Land Down Under" by Phyllis Edelson, a collection of tales and in particular an analysis of the section on relationships. It shows how like everyone else, the Australians have their problems with relationships and how these stories illustrate the problems and the best things, about relationships in Australia. It evaluates how from this selection of stories, it seems that many Australians suffer from bad marriages, where adultery is the key to survival and any form of happiness.
From the Paper "Women of course play heavily in these tales, because they are central to the male/female relationships. They also seem to suffer more than the men in the stories do, but that is the same in every culture, it seems. In these stories, the women are all the victims, and the men are the winners. They have all they want, and do not regret their indiscretions at all. This could be related to culture, because Australian men are not known for their sensitivity, but more their brash recklessness, and it shows in these stories, where they get all the women they want, while the women have little choice in the matter.
One of the most interesting characteristics of all these short stories is the feeling of hopelessness that surrounds them. Not one of the characters is ultimately happy in these stories, and it is depressing to think this is the general outlook on relationships and love, no matter the gender. The stories seem to be saying that love is impossible to find, no matter who or how you love. This seems to be based on their outlook, which may have something to do with Australian culture, but the relationships themselves are not based on any form of culture or belief, they simply seem to be bad relationships."
Abstract This paper discusses how, when a book is published today that includes the story of an affair between a married man and/or woman, hardly anyone raises an eyebrow in protest, since, in today's society, extramarital affairs occur regularly in real life and even more so in literature and films. It looks at how the situation was quite different in earlier centuries when affairs were looked upon much differently, and novels covered the topic of marriage, but not of illicit love affairs. From works such as D.H Lawrence's "Lady Chatterley's Lover" and modern-day films such as "The Good Girl", it attempts to show how the subject takes on a much greater significance in the past than its media portrayal today.
From the Paper "In the 20th century, the theme of adultery has become much more common, especially since it is more acceptable and openly discussed in Western society. However, it many cases, the results are not any more reassuring. In his 1998 novel Rabbit, John Updike has Rabbit cheat on Janice and indirectly cause the death of his daughter. In the second book of the series, he separates from Janice, but cheats on his girlfriend, who is killed in a fire. In the third book, he is prevented from consummating his lustful desires and nobody dies. But in the fourth novel, he cheats on Janice yet again. It is the same theme of adultery as in 19th century literature, but this time the book is written with humor and fun. And, once again, the readers can actually imagine that they, too, could be or have been a character like Rabbit. For Rabbit is the story of every person?a mixture of the good and the bad."
Abstract The writer discusses how, in "The World According to Garp", John Irving has created a masterpiece that combines feminism, the writer's world, adultery, sex, death, and optimism. Irving also demonstrates how life goes on despite the mayhem that stalks our lives every day. It discusses how Garp portrays the message that something good always comes out of bad happenings, and there is a dangerous 'undertoad' waiting just around the corner for each and every one of us. How we meet and deal with it is our responsibility. It shows how John Irving's story is about how one man does just that.
From the Paper "In the world most people live in, violence rarely leaves a sense of optimism in its wake. But in The World According to Garp, by John Irving, the overwhelming feeling that suffuses readers after each violent episode is that life goes on. In this amazing story, "people are dying almost from the first page, but by the end, the reader is neither bored with death, nor hardened to it" (Marcus 295). Irving uses death, quite a lot of it, in his masterpiece. However, despite the increasing savagery of the events in the book, readers accept it "because one has come to accept Irving's characters as people, as friends" (295). Irving blurs the line we tend to draw between ordinary and violent death by presenting us with a world in which "the normal and the perverse coexist without ever considering that they shouldn"t or couldn?t? (296). A causal glance through The World According to Garp would give readers a grim, pessimistic opinion of Garp's world; but with the help of an omniscient narrator, the undercurrent of optimism can be found, even in the most horrific death scenes."
Abstract This paper explains that Princess Diana was very much a feminist in that she set out to be her own person, acknowledged her own weaknesses and those of society's and worked to overcome them both, dared to be an individual in spite of a societal structure that wanted her to be conformist and a stereotype, and understood that others weren't yet afforded the opportunities that she was and worked to overcome those imbalances in society. The author points out that Princess Diana was stereotypically feminine during the early time of her life when she dropped out from school at age 16, but had a particular talent for music as an accomplished pianist, dancing, and domestic science at school. The paper states that, unlike a typical wife in a conservative country, Diana was not an object who could be easily manipulated; failing to receive love from her husband, she openly admitted to committing adultery herself.
From the Paper "In the traditional Kingdom of Great Britain, Lady Diana was a Princess through marriage to the future king Prince Charles. She gained her glamorous prefix, Her Royal Highness, but she had no real power in hand. Even though she would possibly become the Queen of the Wales when her husband was succeeded to the throne as King, she would not have the power to rule. But it did not stop her from making a change in the world. Princess Diana actively participated in numerous kinds of charity work throughout the world. "During her marriage, the Princess was president or patron of over 100 charities. The Princess did much to publicize work on behalf of homeless and also disabled people, children and people with HIV/Aids.""
Abstract The writer of this paper reviews and discusses the plots and main characters in both works of writing which center around the subject of adultery. This paper focuses on the differences and similarities between Jason and Charles, in which both deal with issues of fidelity, albeit in different manners. The writer contends and makes clear why a major related difference between both men is their level of self-involvement. This paper examines the manner in which Jason shows no loyalty to his wives while Charles, on the other hand, cares deeply for his wife and often seems more concerned with her welfare than his own. This paper analyzes the characteristics of both Jason and Charles, who are total opposites in every way, including what they want from life and their determination to get it.
From the Paper "The first obvious difference between Charles and Jason relates to their faithfulness. Jason is not at all faithful to Medea, cheating on her and marrying another woman. At the same time, he shows no real love towards either of his wives. In contrast, Charles is completely and blindly faithful to his wife. He provides her with unconditional love and will do anything for her. In their relationships with their wives then, Charles and Jason are opposites, with Charles the completely unfaithful husband and Jason the completely faithful. Jason and Charles are also opposites in what they want from life and their determination to get it. While Jason is driven and will do anything to get what he wants, Charles has no ambition at all."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the emotional effects of adultery on the characters Daisy and Pecola in Morrison's and Fitzgerald's respective novels. The author uses examples from the texts to qualify how these characters become victims of their own circumstances.
From the Paper "These three versions of the same paragraph represent three distinct types of child characters: (1) the white girls (i.e., "slow readers" allowed to take their time and develop normally through childhood); (2) the black sisters Claudia and Frieda, forced to "read" (i.e., grow up) faster than white girls overall, but not as fast as Pecola; and (3) Pecola, who must "read" (grow up) so fast that nothing at all is clear. Another traumatic thing that happens early on in the book is when Pecola gets her first period. This is a normal thing, but it is traumatic for Pecola because she never heard about it at home. So Pecola thinks she is bleeding to death, and may even connect it with the violent sexual assault of which she has been a victim so early in life. Pecola's getting her period means that if she is raped again she could have a baby. Later in the book, after Pecola returns home, she is raped again by her father, gets pregnant, and later goes mad."
Abstract This paper analyzes five short stories by John Updike that are used to demonstrate his common themes of sex, adultery, religion and mortality and his unique style. The stories are: "A & P", "Marching Through Boston", "Your Lover Just Called", "Eros Rampant" and "Brother Grasshopper."
From the Paper "In the majority of short stories from John Updike we are exposed to the author's chronicle of American life. Innovative and unfashionably conservative, Updike explores psychological processes and sexual candor in his ..."
Abstract The paper describes the setting of this play, being based on the events surrounding the 1692 witch trails that took place in Salem, Massachusetts. The paper looks closely at the character of John Proctor who commits adultery but is prepared to save his wife even at the expense of his secret being revealed. The paper portrays John's continuous struggle against his inner contradictions and how he chooses death rather than dishonor.
From the Paper "The plot evolves around one character, John Proctor--"a farmer in his middle thirties"--who commits the sin of cheating on his wife once with Abigail, a girl of seventeen, "strikingly beautiful, an orphan, with an endless capacity for dissembling." (Arthur Miller, The Crucible, 8) Jealous and resentful of being rejected, Abigail accuses Proctor's wife of witchcraft, of murderous thoughts, manipulating others to take sides with her and spreading witchcraft panic through the village. Proctor, who has more or less indirectly caused his wife to be accused, has now a moral obligation to save her. In trying to do so, though, he himself is charged with witchcraft."
Abstract This paper looks at Ovid's poem Art of Love, which cheerfully preached the art of seduction and adultery. Eventually Augustus, the ruler of Rome, regarded Ovid as a threat to his moral regime and exiled the poet in 8 C.E. This paper looks at "Art of Love" and examines how Ovid delighted in poking irreverent fun at everything from the sanctity of Roman marriage to the serious consequences of adultery instituted by the Augustan reforms, and how this was considered subversive to Augustan reform.
From the Paper "Augustus greatly preferred the poetry of his patron poets, specifically Virgil and Horace. Ovid, however, scorns Virgil's Aeneid, an epic poem portraying a panoramic history of Rome and its destiny. The hero, Aeneas, was driven by his piety, that is, his duty towards the gods and his devotion to his father. Ovid exhibits his rebellious intentions by mocking the traditional aspects of an epic poem. For example, Virgil begins the Aeneid by summoning the Muses and asking for their guidance in his telling of the tale. Ovid, on the other hand, does not abide by this custom; instead he grants himself credit for having previous knowledge on the subject of his writing. He states his work is clearly "based on experience: what I write, believe me, I have practiced" (Ovid 167). Thus, Ovid obviously states he has no need for the aid of the Muses, at the same time taunting Augustan tradition."
Presents the results of an experiment which combines the matching theory with the studies of infidelity, to determine if there is a causal relationship between the attractiveness level of the male adulterer and that of his mistress.
Abstract This paper discusses the result of research which placed 200 male undergraduate participants in a 4x3 mixed factorial design to determine if the physical attractiveness stereotype applied to adultery. Participants were assigned to 4 conditions. Each group was presented with a scenario depicting the character "John" committing adultery with one of 3 women. The first independent variable was the manipulation of the attractiveness level of "John". "John" was presented as either an unattractive, average, or attractive man. A "no picture" group was created to measure the participant's base line response. The participants were then asked to indicate which woman (unattractive, average, or attractive) "John" was having an affair with. The paper shows that results indicated that the matching hypothesis does occur in situations of infidelity. Evolutionary implications and reasoning are also discussed.
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From the Paper "Women look for a man whose appearance indicates a means to acquire resources and the ability to protect/care for any potential offspring (Townsend, 1990). These cues, coming from an evolutionary standpoint, are also very logical. Women have much more at stake than men do when it comes to child bearing. Females seek a mate that exhibits traits that imply that he will be able to provide for her during her pregnancy, since during those 9 months she will be unable to provide for her self (in an ancestral hunter-gatherer society). If the women in question does not embody the traits men find desirable, she will have to look for a man that is lower on the attractiveness ladder."
