Marriage and Family
Dutt had refused to enter into an arranged marriage which his father had decided for him. He had no respect for that tradition and wanted to break free from the confines of caste-based endogamous marriage. At this time, he converted to Christianity. His knowledge of the European tradition convinced him of the superiority of marriages made by mutual consent (or love marriages).
Dutt married twice. While living in Madras, he married Rebecca Mactavys, of English descent. They had four children together. He wrote to Gour in December 1855:
| “ | Yes, dearest Gour, I have a fine English Wife and four children. | ” |
Dutt returned from Madras to Calcutta in February 1856, after his father's death. There he married Henrietta Sophia White, who was also ethnic English. His second marriage lasted until the end of his life. They had a son Napoleon and daughter Sharmistha.
The tennis player Leander Paes is a direct descendant of his.
Read more about this topic: Michael Madhusudan Dutt
Famous quotes containing the words marriage and/or family:
“The concerts you enjoy together
Neighbors you annoy together
Children you destroy together
That make marriage a joy”
—Stephen Sondheim (b. 1930)
“A real hangover is nothing to try out family remedies on. The only cure for a real hangover is death.”
—Robert Benchley (1889–1945)