?Even worse, ?says Elliott, ?was the sexual stigma of being a woman, manifested most dramatically in the treatment of widows...? ?Though shelved by the culture, many of these widows found sources of strength and humanity within themselves that inspired our authors...? ?A young widow might be seen as a ?bad luck? bride who has caused her husband?s death. Even her natal family might not want such a bride returned to them...? ?These narratives are littered with failed marriages, not only unhappy ones but many that broke up completely...? ?When the failure happened soon after marriage, we see a father receiving a daughter back, perhaps implicitly acknowledging a misjudgement made by his generation...? ?We also see cases of brothers or sons refusing to support vulnerable women.?