"Family"isofcourseanelasticword
ButwhenBritishpeoplesaythattheirsocietyisbasedonfamilylife,theyarethinkingof"family"initsnarrow,peculiarlyEuropeansenseofmother,fatherandchildrenlivingtogetheraloneintheirownhouseasaneconomicandsocialunit
Thus,everyBritishmarriageindicatesthebeginningofanewandindependentfamily—hencethetremendousimportanceofmarriageinBritishlife
Forboththemanandthewoman,marriagemeansleavingone'sparentsandstartingone'sownlife
Theman'sfirstdutywillthenbetohiswife,andthewife'stoherhusband
Hewillbeentirelyresponsibleforherfinancialsupport,andshefortherunningofthenewhome
Theirchildrenwillbetheircommonresponsibilityandtheirsalone
Neitherthewife'sparentsnorthehusband's,northeirbrothersorsisters,auntsoruncles,haveanyrighttointerferewiththem—theyarethei