In Stephanie Coontz’ book, Coontz describes two opposing theories concerning marriage. The first theory she describes in her third chapter is the “Protective Theory of Marriage.” Coontz states this theory is, “why women are supposedly attracted to powerful, dominant men, while men seek women who will be good breeders and hearth-keepers” (36). In this theory, spouses where selected based on who could protect the other from the dangers of the outside world. In contrast, Coontz also delineates a second theory, known as the “Oppressive Theory of Marriage,” as “a way men put women’s labor to private use” (42). In this theory, men solely selected their mates based on who would be better to make alliances and bore better children. Therefore, the former
