Paradise Lost Written by Terry Martin Hekker
“Paradise Lost (Domestic Division)” written by Terry Martin Hekker, tackles some very important and life changing issues that many women of today face. Whether it’s being faced with divorce or struggling to survive financially, Hekker lets readers know what it was like to go through it and how she overcame these life obstacles.
Back in the 1950’s all that was really expected of women was to marry, support their husbands, and raise their children. Having a career was never something women worried about having or prioritizing. Being a woman from this era, Hekker carried the ideals of a woman that came with it into later decades when more and more women were leaving behind staying at home and establishing themselves in the business world. Many people, mostly women, frowned upon Hekker’s decision to be a homemaker. They found the thought of it quite foreign and impossible. To them, having a career was one of the most important things in their lives because that’s how the world saw things when they were growing up. Doing any sort of work or labor that didn’t pay you wasn’t worth the time or effort according to society; having a paying job was the only thing worth having. In spite of this widely popular opinion, Hekker never thought for one minute that being a housewife was any less important than having a career.
However, all these views Hekker had on life, marriage, and careers changed the day her husband served her with divorce papers on their 40th wedding anniversary. Being divorced at the age of sixty-seven was something Hekker wasn’t prepared for or expecting to even happen. Hekker had always been a faithful, caring, and loving wife. She had stood by her husband and always supported him, even when he dealt with his alcohol addiction. She had nixed out the possibility of having a career because she thought that it would never be necessary.