The pair are married at the age of eleven but Bertrande` did not move into the Guerre household until she was fourteen. Arranged marriages continue across the world and now largely in Pakistan, where today 90% of marriages are still arranged. .
So what are the breakdowns of an arranged marriage? Some arranged marriages can work out, but the man or woman may not be happy with the spouse that has been chosen for him or her. If the man and the woman get along, that's excellent, but sometimes there are a lot of differences which can cause problems. Proponents of arranged marriage claim that it is more successful, but their definition of success focuses on divorce rates. But are divorce rates really a measure of a successful marriage? The dominance of divorce in a society depends on a lot of factors, including the stigma of the divorce. Arranged marriages work better than western societies spontaneous love marriages, which so often split apart, but if the arranged marriage couples are not happy with their relationship is it not common sense for them to consider a divorce, but sadly this is not so easy. Divorces are very rare in a traditional arranged marriage, as in most cultures if an arranged marriage ends in a divorce the divorcee will be disowned by their family and the community, so the pressure to keep an arranged marriage in tact is great for a lot of couples. Also in some cases the husband can be abusive to the wife. This is also exposed in "the wife of Martin Guerre". On the first night Bertrande` found her self in the Guerre household, the day of their marriage. Her spouse Martin physically abused her when they saw each other in the hallway, this was the first time they were both alone, Martin, and I quote "he cuffed Bertrande` soundly upon the ears, scratched her face and pulled her hair, all without a word". Is physical abuse quite a large factor in arranged marriages? Well, it has been reported that estimates of percentages of women who experience domestic violence in Pakistan range from 70% upwards of 90%.