This essay explores the theme of marriage in English literature through works of Jane Austen, Yiyun Li, Shakespeare, and Margaret Atwood. It discusses how marriage has been used as a tool to reflect on society and how women have been subjected to suppression and oppression. The essay describes which story connects with the theme of marriage in the best way and how it is connected. It concludes with the idea that Margaret Atwood's poem 'Spelling' is probably the best piece of work which depicts the costs of a marriage.