The dowry protected her and gave her some insurance against the horrible life she would have should her husband pass.

Interestingly, Wikipedia stated that the dowry was a form of insurance for the woman’s treatment, a form of protection against ill treatment by the husband AND his family.

And LOL about the movie!!! I forgot that one. This reminded me more of the Memoirs of a Geisha. I bet there are a few stories in history like this one. I guess we could say that maybe her idea isn’t all that novel… just modern with an internet bidding war LOL

Sex may be a part of the marriage relationship, but formal economic union as a part of marriage does then therefore make sex a “commodity.”

The only part of the story that makes sense with regards to how high the bidding has gone is the statement that so many of these men appear to be looking for a relationship rather than just a single night.

How has she taken any more power by giving herself to the highest bidder than by sleeping with someone she loves, or cares for or just because she wants to or whatever other reason for sleeping with someone?

I do however disagree in that I think sex is a commodity–it may not always be exchanged for cash, but it is often exchanged for something. And our history has usually handled sex as a commodity as well; I merely think of a dowry and see commodity, except it is between two men–the young woman often not having any input. The young woman in the story has simply taken power of her own sexual prowess. I guess this is what I find empowering in her story–so often men have controlled a woman’s sexuality, even in modern times, even in religious contexts.

We’ll go way off on a tangent there, but that is ok. There are things most of us can agree on most of the time whether we are informed by a religious worldview or not, especially in America where we have shared values like liberty, even if we have slightly different understandings of the concept. But for the most part, our basic needs are taken care of and we focus on needs above basic survival.

When Dana asked, “How do you explain that anything is ‘wrong’ without some shared foundation or point of reference?” my mental response was, what about our humanity? It is undeniably universal despite all differences.

And about animals and sex as social or biological, etc, this post from a biological anthropologist (with a blind spot against homeschoolers, but never mind that for now) is incredibly educational for anyone who can wrestle with complexity as Dana’s readers do. . .

It’s long but worth it imo.

I don’t think sex is that different. This woman is selling a part of her. That’s different than giving it away. I don’t think she realizes her true worth.

There are women forced into prostitution. Some are drug addicts and need money for their addiction. I don’t know how big of an issue this is here, but I know in some areas some women feel this is the only way to feed and clothe themselves and their children.

It breaks my heart and I have nothing but sympathy for a woman who compromises herself in exchange for basic necessities.

But this is more about convenience. It is easier than working a job through school. I think that is what really bothers me. I don’t see it as liberating or empowering in any way.