With a topic as complex and circumstantial as divorce and marital relationships, it is hard to narrow the topic down to specifically one aspect that can be applied nearly across the board. Though it is easy to look at the statistics and conclude one trend amongst the millions of marriages in the united states, including those who have ended, and those who have not, any one piece of data could be irrelevant to any one specific marriage. One of the most interesting aspects, however of this shift is the change that marriage itself has taken over the past century. Formerly only associated with the actual possession of a woman in a marriage, that idea has changed drastically around the country. In 2019, even the slightest implication that a woman ‘belongs’ to a man would result in a large amount of ridicule, and hardly any room for explanation of the statement. Only some decades ago, however this concept of possession in a relationship was extremely common. Women have always been seen as more of the subordinate  role in marriages, with men serving as the breadwinner and women staying home with more of a domestic lifestyle. Thought this concept is one that has evolved more and more with each decade, our modern society has been by far the most progressive the country has seen. With some women even now serving as the main source of income in their home and a stay at home father, the idea of a ‘typical’ marriage continues to change consistently with time. The fact that this topic is one that is so hard to apply to every situation, and the fact that it is one that can be constantly changing and conforming to the standards and norms makes it even more interesting to analyze a paradigm shift within. Because there has never been truly one large shift, but numerous smaller changes over time, the views and structure of marriage themselves provide a different outlook than many of the other cultural shifts our nation has experienced.