EmilyFinalAnalogy

 

According to the hit television show “Sex and the City,” Sex and the City, “marriage is like a sorority she was desperately hoping to pledge.” At first, one may laugh at how ridiculous this actually sounds. If marriage is all about love and passion, then how is it similar to the crazy college years in sororities? However, there truly are many similarities between marriages and sororities. In addition to these similarities, there are also many differences between the two.

 

There are many similarities that exist between marriages and sororities. Marriages and sororities are both types of unions between people. These types of unions consist of strong bonds with great moral values. These values and characteristics of the unions are very much alike. Love, friendship, togetherness, respect, and trust are all similar characteristics that keep the relationships strong in both types of unions. Marriages and sororities are both unique families that people typically choose to become a part of. The bonds in both are generally very strong and meaningful to the people in them. Even though some of the relationships in marriages and sororities may be ephemeral, many will last a lifetime.

 

 

The processes into in becoming parts of marriages and sororities are also similar. The formation of marriages and sororities are both usually long processes. To be more specific, before people get married they typically date, get engaged, and then eventually get married. For sororities, the girls first rush, get bids, then have to pledge before officially becoming members of the sororities. For both situations, they involve long and time-consuming processes in which the end result makes it all worth it. Before getting married or getting into sororities, many competitions also ensue. People will compete to be in the “best” sorority or get the “best” husband/wife, and we must question what “best” truly means. Many people choose to join these types of unions for superficial reasons. For example, many want to find spouses for marriages that are good-looking and have a lot of money, and for sororities, girls tend to look for the prettiest girls and wildest partiers. However, in order for relationships to form and be meaningful, there must be more than the outer looks and superficial aspects. People must appreciate what is inside in order to gain better understanding of others in order to form successful years and relationships in marriages or sororities.

 

The years that one is a member of a marriage or sorority are typically priceless and meaningful years. However, many people also have bad experiences with both sorority life and married life. Many fights will arise and differences can ensue among members. In marriages, sometimes people will separate, go through marriage counseling, and lastly, divorce. In sororities, members are able to “depledge” and escape from the sorority life. Sometimes the lifestyles in both types of unions do not work out because of the people involved or the moral beliefs held by its members. Therefore, both marriages and sororities have ways of closure in order to end the family ties.

 

Although there are many similarities between marriages and sororities, there are many differences as well. First of all, sororities consist of groups of girls, while marriages are legally between a male and a female (and in some states, between the same sexes). The members of sororities are called sisters, and in marriages they are called spouses, significant others, or husbands and wives. Marriages are exclusive relationships between two people, while sororities consists of relationships among many people. In addition to the people in the relationships, there are many differences in the responsibilities involved as well.

 

In sororities, the first responsibility is the schoolwork, since the sisters are in college. The girls must also focus on respecting others and themselves. They are responsible for maintaining certain grades while also participating in sorority-run activities such as philanthropies and charity events. The responsibilities in a marriage are much greater. The members of a marriage are responsible for their significant other, and must work and make money in order to support one another. If they have kids and raise a family, then the husband and wife are now responsible for another human being. They not only have to worry about the food, clothing, and medical care for themselves, but must now raise and educate a child in the world. As one can see, there are many clear dissimilar aspects in marriages than in sororities.

 

Thus, sorority life and married life are both two very different, yet alike lifestyles. Overall, they consist of people living together with love and respect. Sorority sisters and married couples are there for one another in both good times and bad, and will comfort one another when needed most. Therefore, there are many types of similarities and differences between sororities and marriages.