Don’t like that trope where women are forced into arranged marriages against their will for their family’s political advantage, it just reinforces the frankly sexist idea of women as overemotional and obsessed with romance to the point of stupidity, and neglects the reality of all the women throughout history who would gladly marry for power, riches and political advantage as long as the spouse in question wasn’t entirely awful, because ambition is not an inherently gendered trait, you gotta have a roof over your head, and that earl title suits your brother
Something about ambition being a virtue in men and a flaw in women, and how that kind of thinking also influences people’s perception of women in politics and business today
Maybe I’m just very ace, but I feel like if you’re going to sleep with someone, you might as well get an aristocratic title and a few estates out of it
If you’re a woman living in a society and belonging to a social class where getting married is the closest you’ll ever get to having a job, why wouldn’t you marry for social, political and financial advantage? Sure, your husband has a weak chin and the annoying habit of mainly talking about his hunting dogs, but the estates are gorgeous, the horses are fine, the servants are numerous, you’re dining with the Prime Minister and his wife, and you just used your connections to secure a viscount for your younger sister
this is a terrible understanding of the institution of arranged marriage which exists for preservation of material property and status within a certain group whether it be european nobility, upper castes, whites, etc. arranged marriage literally exists to preserve the status quo and make sure property doesn't escape a certain class group via inheritance if a member marries "out".
if you're talking about a european feudal society (historical or fantasy), arranged marriages happen between two people of similar status. that's the entire point. if you're marrying a rich man, your circumstances do not improve, because you're from a rich family yourself, but now you're away from your family with a man most likely a lot older than you and who treats you like shit.
what you're talking about, a woman marrying a wealthier man to improve her material circumstances, is firstly 1.) not arranged marriage because it's literally not arranged by anyone and the woman is choosing her husband 2.) EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY RARE in societies where arranged marriage is dominant, and always results in scandal if not violence. which is why the trope of "gold digger" is vilified even today. 3.) is actually rare even now, even in countries where arranged marriages don't really exist, and even amongst queer people, people still overwhelmingly marry within their economic and social class
please stop girlbossing arranged marriage my god.