Complete dissolution of marriage did not exist in Mexico until 1917. Prior to that time the Catholic Church approved only a limited form of separation. The work under review studies the practice of that form of “divorce” in the first half of the nineteenth century. An introductory analysis of the social meaning of the divorce cases precedes excerpts of nine legal suits.
The social historian will find much material of interest in this study. Ninety-two percent of the divorce suits were initiated by women, prompted by physical abuse, financial need, adultery or alcoholism of the husband. Only six percent of the cases were carried out to the end. Although divorce cases were atypical situations, at a rate of fifteen cases per year, they are useful sources for identifying social attitudes. The permanence of such attitudes is remarkable. In spirit, and in much of the form, colonial values and practices were preserved. The depósito or legal safeguarding of the woman, and the assumption of the husband’s authority over the wife were a direct link with the past. The institution of marriage continued to be held above personal concerns. After consideration of the many nuances of personal and social values perceivable in the divorce suits, Silvia Arrom concludes that divorce helped to control women, insofar as ecclesiatical authority substituted that of the husband.
The format of this book encourages the reader to discover personally the intriguing details of divorce cases. The comments of the author provide sound guidance, although sometimes the connection between these particular cases and larger issues has not been completely explained. For example, the tempo of divorces quickened after 1854, but the author does not clarify whether this phenomenon is correlated to the political situation in the country. Such questions may be answered in the author’s promised larger work. In the meantime, it is good to have a study that addresses itself to the complex issues of women’s standing in society which is based on serious archival research rather than on impressionistic generalizations.
