Central Argument: Francis Bacon claims that being married is more advantageous than being single because marriage helps to build up men's personalities and values.
Some people today have a very stereotypical view about marriage. People joke about how after marriage, the man is stripped off of all his luxuries and comforts as a bachelor. After marriage, the woman becomes moodier and bossy, and according to men, she likes to control every aspect of her husband's life. People are so overwhelmed with these kinds of theories that they neglect the bright side of the bond between a couple. Marriage can bring a lot of joy and happiness to people as it proclaims that they are to spend the rest of their lives in each other's arms. Like Francis Bacon says in one of his many essays, "Of Marriage and Single Life," I believe a married man can extract many great things from a marriage that ultimately helps him build his character.
Marriage can teach couples about many important values about life. For example, a recent movie I watched called One Day told the story of a young couple. They had been friends for almost fifteen years until finally they decided to marry. As their days of marriage becomes a source of joy, the man starts changing and becoming a better person than he was before. He stays true to her for the rest of their time together, when before, he did not take relationships seriously. After her sudden death, he starts to fall apart and lose himself completely. However, with a little chat with his father, who lost his wife ten years ago, the man finally realizes that he has to live everyday like his dear wife was still alive. He understands that this is what she would have wanted. This self-discovery shows the viewer that because of their unconditional love and support for each other, the husband understood an important value in his life, which was to move on even if his wife was no longer living.
Marriage doesn't only help build values, but it also gives them a chance to test these values. I come from a very strict, religious family, and although my father is a little relaxed about rules, at home, we are obliged to follow them. In many Hindu houses, like my own, it is considered unclean for women, who are going through their monthly mensuration cycles, to go into the kitchen where meals are being cooked for the elders of the family. My mother is especially careful about this rule as my grandparents stay with us, and they are very religious people. Therefore, one day, when the milk was boiling and my mother was nowhere to be seen, I ran into the kitchen, when I shouldn't have, and turned off the gas before the milk spilled all over. When my father saw what I had done, he looked taken aback. My mother returned from upstairs only to find that the gas was turned off. She turned around and asked me who turned it off. I looked at my father pleadingly who, noticing my desperation, turned to my mother and said that he had turned it off. My mother was relieved and I wan't in trouble. I mouthed a small "thank you" to him, and we went on with our lives. However, that event showed me how having kids can teach a man important things, like responsibility, love, and sacrifice. It shows that marriage can test a father's character and allow him to show the values that he has gathered from his marriage.
With these examples in mind, I believe that marriage is more advantageous to a man than being single. It teaches them about significant values in life and allows them to test their character from time to time.
