"With children no longer the universally accepted reason for marriage, marriages are going to have to exist on their own merits"

This quote by Eleanor Holmes Norton suggests that marital relationship is no longer entirely based upon the traditional purpose of having kids. In the past, marital relationship was seen as a way to produce a household and have children, but now marriage is viewed as a way to create a partnership in between 2 individuals. This quote suggests that marriages will now need to be based upon the merits of the relationship in between the two individuals, instead of the standard function of having kids. This shift in the purpose of marriage has enabled couples to focus on the relationship in between them, instead of the traditional purpose of having children. This quote recommends that marital relationships will now have to be based on the benefits of the relationship between the 2 individuals, such as trust, interaction, and shared respect. This shift in the purpose of marriage has enabled couples to concentrate on the relationship between them, instead of the traditional function of having kids. This quote implies that marriages will now have to be based upon the benefits of the relationship in between the 2 individuals, rather than the traditional function of having children.