Part Three: Chapter 9, Intimate Enemies Summary and Analysis

Marriages that began in 1890 suffered a 10 percent divorce rate. The rate has grown steadily, so that marriages that began in 1990 have a 67 percent likelihood of ending in divorce. The stigma of divorce has lessened, and the economic dependence of women on men has also had an effect on the divorce rate. However, aside from the social changes, the glue that holds a couple together is emotional intelligence. The way men and women communicate comes from training in childhood and verbal development.

Leslie Brody and Judith Hall summarize research on the emotional development of boys and girls and found that girls learn language faster than boys, and therefore become more skilled at expressing and reading emotions. One telling difference is when children play. When boys play and one gets injured, the injured is expected...