Many wives had difficulty in marriage. They were
under the rule of their mother-in law. When a couple had children, especially
the first boy, the wife would gain a little more authority; but she still had
to answer to the mother-in-law's authority. Women had few rights in marriage.
A husband could divorce his wife if she did not bear a child or did not bear
a son. If there were a divorce, the children would stay with the father. A woman
could not divorce her husband. She had few property rights. "She could
not inherit all her husband's property after he died, nor could she leave all
her money to her children" (Williams 2003, pg. 7).
Complete Naval Color Slides of World War II