The Case Against Divorce

Psychologist Medved ( Children: To Have or Have Not? ) presents herself like a thoroughly prepared prosecutor clinching the case against divorce as a major public enemy, arguing that couples on the verge of ending their marriages do their utmost to avoid it: ``I discovered in my research that the process and aftermath of divorce is sic so pervasively disastrous to body, mind, and spirit--that in an overwhelming number of cases, the `cure' that it brings is surely worse than the marriage's `disease.' '' Quoting from 200 ``witnesses'' who testify to divorce's long-term hardships, Medved makes clear that ex-spouses and their children bear emotional scars, reduced financial/social status and other wounds. Though a feminist, she blames the women's movement in part for the alarming growth of broken homes and claims that mothers and children suffer more than men from marital break-ups. Her male interviewees seem to regret the failure of their marriages, lending further credence to Medved's stance against divorce. (May)