The Effect of .
Divorce is an unspoken word in the Caribbean culture. Divorce is a no no, unless under extreme circumstances such as battery. Infidelity is not even a cause strong enough for divorce. A contradiction is present though, marital separations are allowed. Usually after many years of the wife looking the other way. I remember reaching this revelation during my sophomore year in college. At lunch one day an engrossing discussion of marriage and responsibility arose. Eventually the conversation turned to divorce and its affect on the spouses, and most importantly the kids. What goes through their minds upon hearing the words "Where getting a divorce" and the outcome that follows? This assignment gives me the opportunity to find out the answers to my questions. Naivety prevented me form understanding the life altering changes a youth faces when it comes to divorce. From an outsiders point of view I always saw it as; parents having to do what they had to do to be happy therefore the child should just get over it.
My parents have been together for 30 years. They have been married for 17 years. Within this time they produced two daughters (who are adamantly against divorce) and founded a solid marriage. This is the structure I see all around my family and close family friends when it comes to the institution of marriage. Some may be facades, however there is no destruction when it comes to the union of matrimony. The two main reasons are spirituality and children. Once a child is conceived both individuals commitment is then dedicated to that child. One Caribbean ideology is that even if you separate at least the child can say my parents are still married. With this in mind I began to observe my friends and their attitudes toward divorce. Since my parents are still together I wanted to know what it was like for a friend who's parents aren't.
