A Room of One's Own

Why might marriage have been "hateful" to Judith Shakespeare? How does her father's reaction show how little he understands her?

from A Room of One's Own

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Judith wanted to express her talents and identity without being in the shadow of a man. Her father could not accept this very counter-culture point of view,

Soon, however, before she was out of her teens, she was to be betrothed to the son of a neighbouring woolstapler. She cried out that marriage was hateful to her, and for that she was severely beaten by her father. Then he ceased to scold her. He begged her instead not to hurt him, not to shame him in this matter of her marriage. He would give her a chain of beads or a fine petticoat, he said; and there were tears in his eyes. How could she disobey him? How could she break his heart? The force of her own gift alone drove her to it. Ch 3