Paradise Lost

Summary of Paradise Lost (Domestic Division) In January 1, 2006 New York Times optional editorial “Summary of Paradise Lost (Domestic Division)” published in Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Terry Martin Hekker uses her divorced marriage as a living example to bring up importance of financial independence and to notice young women the possibility of divorce. Hekker asserts being a homemaker as a valid choice for women in the article titled “The Satisfaction of Housewifery and Motherhood” published in New York Times in 1997. She then further developed the belief to the book “Ever since Adam and Eve,” which gained her appearance on national tours, newspaper and TV shows. When Hekker had her 40th anniversary, her husband shocked her by presenting her with a divorce. She felt abandoned at old age was the most pathetic thing that could happen to a women. She is even more frustrated/devastated when she finds that women around her suffer from the pain of divorce like her. There was a long struggle for Hekker to stay financially independent by handling all the bills and check.

According to Terry Martin Hekker’s 2006 opinion editorial “Paradise Lost (Domestic Division)”, she asserts that women should not rely on others alone even when they are married. She believes that women should gain independence by acquiring education and getting a job to prepare for the possibility of divorce. In the article “The Satisfaction of Housewifery and Motherhood” which she published in 1977, she mentions that being a housewife is a valid choice for women. She then gained popularity by further developing the belief to the book “Ever since Adam and Eve”, which put her to newspaper and television shows. On Hekker’s 40th wedding anniversary, her husband shocked her by presenting her a divorce which she could never think of. She felt like being abandoned at old age which, she reckons that, is the most pathetic thing happening to a woman. It is even more frustrating when she finds that people around her suffer from the same situation. Hekker starts to learn to stay financial independent by handling all the bills and checks. There was a long struggle for Hekker to overcome the depression of being abandoned and to start a new life. She realized that it requires her more knowledge in order to be independent. Except talking about her own experience, Hekker also expresses her view on the difference between modern and traditional wives in the article “Paradise lost”. She asserts that traditional couples maintain their marriage by mutual trust while modern ones maintain it by being self-sufficient. That is why Hekker encourages married women to continue with their carriers after their children have started school. Towards the end of the article, Hekker recovers from the pain of divorce and continues with her new life as a single woman. Her grandchildren has been her great comfort during the recovery which make her not to regret marrying her husband. Later, She not only worked at Village Board but also became a mayor who serves her rationality. In conclusion, Hekker is writing to restate her point of view publishing in 1997 which no longer suit married women in this time and age. She wrote this article after the divorce so as to advocate women being independent and alert them to the possibility of getting divorced.