Running Away to Escape a Marriage

B2 – Upper Intermediate

I is rather unfortunate that the practice of arranged marriages is still very much alive in some traditions. Certain Indian communities are continues to strongly practice it, even if the child firmly goes against it.

Read the article below to know the story of one Indian girl who escaped her arranged marriage but had to face the consequences.

https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38833804

Discussion Questions:

  1. What did you think of Jasvinder Sanghera’s story? How was she able to escape her arranged marriage?
  2. According to the article, why did Jasvinder dislike being in an arranged marriage? What were the struggles she had to endure?
  3. How do you view this custom? What are the good and bad things about it?
  4. What would you do if your parents fixed your marriage up with someone you barely know?
  5. Discuss other family traditions that you think should be discontinued.
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2 replies on “Running Away to Escape a Marriage”

1. What did you think of Jasvinder Sanghera’s story? How was she able to escape her arranged marriage?
I think that it is a powerful story of overcoming adversity and courage. It’s incredible how people, under the excuse of culture or anything else, can inflict so much pain and abuse on others, especially their loved ones.

2. According to the article, why did Jasvinder dislike being in an arranged marriage? What were the struggles she had to endure?
She saw a picture of the man she was promised to and thought that he was shorter and older than she was, and she didn’t want to marry him.

3. How do you view this custom? What are the good and bad things about it?
I think that it is a custom from the Middle Ages that, sadly, still persists in some cultures today. I can’t see any advantage in forcing someone to marry someone they didn’t even know before; it’s something that goes against human rights.

4. What would you do if your parents fixed your marriage with someone you barely know?
I think I would do the same as the girl in the article.

5. Discuss other family traditions that you think should be discontinued.
Another cultural tradition that should be banned is female genital mutilation, which still persists in some African countries.

Interesting thoughts. Thanks for sharing them!

See how this response can be improved by avoiding using the same word in the same sentence. You may also use “violate” in place of “go against” to collocate with “human rights”.

I can’t see any advantage in forcing someone to marry someone they didn’t even know before; it’s something that goes against human rights.

I do not see any advantages to forcing a person/an individual to marry someone they didn’t haven’t even know met before.; It is something that violates human rights. / I believe it is a violation of one’s human rights.

Keep up the nice job!

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