ABSTRACT
Marriage is supposed to be founded solely on sexual desire, and people often say-unwittingly quoting one of the myths forgotten by all but the older men-that its purpose is to preserve social life from destruction. They explain that, just as rain without rivers to carry the water away would become a flood covering everything, so undirected appetite would lead to chaos. Most husbands and wives become sincerely attached to each other but take care if outside the house never to express their regard by word or deed. Living together inevitably leads to minor irritations, and although most husbands and wives like to conceal their dissatisfactions in the interests of domestic peace, if tried severely by a particular incident they sometimes pour out all their accumulated grievances. Today adultery is a criminal offence, and an Ordinance provides for the imprisonment of both the lover and the guilty woman for a period of up to six months.
