Let's stop romanticizing BS. I know why my grandmothers (both) stayed with abusive men. One of my grandfathers lived his final 30 years with his girlfriend while remaining married to my grandfather. That grandmother didn't believe in divorce for cultural and religious reasons.

Plus there were legal issues. Both of my grandmothers were in their 50s before they could open legally open a bank account. How can you leave your husband when your family is in another country and you have the legal rights of a child?

And my grannies weren't alone. Women in the US regardless of origin couldn't open bank accounts, sign for loans, get any type of credit without a male co-sign until the 70s. And those women raised their children with that foundation.

So maybe you never heard them complain. But that doesn't mean shit was sweet. Those quirky arguments they had weren't always innocent. Sometimes the MOST they could do was annoy tf out of their spouse since anything more could end up far worse.

Leave and go where? You talk shit about single mothers NOW. How bad do you think single women got it "back then?" Relationships have evolved because the shitty treatment is no longer socially or legally acceptable. Evolve.

And...both of my grandfathers were well-respected in the community. One of them beat my grandmother regularly and drank heavily. In fact when my stepfather hit MY mother he asked her "what did you do to piss him off? You know you got a mouth on you." Again...HIGHLY respected.

He eventually left her (and 5 kids) for a much younger woman. He went on to be extremely successful in business and was the rector on the board of visitors at a college. While still drinking and abusing his second wife. They remained married for nearly 50 years.

I know the community respected them, but i didn't. Because if those women WEREN'T my grandmothers, they would still be somebody's kin. There were consequences for my grandmothers if they left. But zero consequences for the bullshit my grandfathers put them through.