The Mary S. Hartman reading connects three themes-marriage, gender and law, state and church.
At the beginning of 2nd chapter Hartman is using Thomas More work Utopia to compare household structure in England (page 37). She is analyzing Utopia to show how English society was seen from many Utopian aspects.
In this chapter Mary S. Hartman is discussing marriage development of the West in relationship of the rest of the world. On page 39 she identifies northwestern European family patterns like late marriage, significant number who never marry, domestic service, nuclear household. She is noticing family pattern differences between the East and the West. Later Hartman compares family patterns with the rest of the world (China, India, and Morocco).
Mary S. Hartman also discusses early-marriage to late-marriage and shows that change to late-marriage has affected modern life. On page 54 she argues that agricultural production and seasonal agriculture works in Northwestern Europe affected late-marriage for both men and women.
