"It is therefore the purpose of this paper to make a thorough study and analysis of the statutes and court decisions with a view to obtaining information relative to the statutes that could or might be affected by passage of an equal rights amendment...Any study of marital laws is a complicated undertaking, and this survey is only a beginning. The main objective is to emphasize and illustrate the need for granting equal rights to women in Texas. "-- leaf 3.

The aim of this diploma thesis is to analyse the conception of marriage in the works of two Indian female authors, namely Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novels Sister of My Heart and its sequel The Vine of Desire and Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things. The thesis consists of two parts. The objective of the theoretical part is to portray the position of marriage within Indian society and to introduce two female authors and their novels where the theme of Indian marriage plays a significant role. The practical part of the work focuses on a thorough analysis of three chosen female characters. Their roles within the marriage and the influence of marriage on their lives will be further discussed. The result of this part will be an overall comparison of how the chosen authors approach the theme of traditional Indian marriage in their works. . KEY WORDS Indian society, arranged marriage, marriage of one's own will, Indian vs. American marriage, social roles related to marriage, transgressions of marital laws, divorces