Stereotypes Of Love

In “The True and Real Thing”, Susan Ostrov Weisser, an English professor at Adelphi University, compares modern- and Victorian-era definitions of love focusing especially on the expectation and perspective of women’s love. Most people assume that through feminist movements, 21st century women are treated with more respect as equals and do not need to prove themselves compared to the 1940s and 1950s. Weisser critiques this idea by stating that even though women’s identity is not entirely framed by their ability to find love and marry, the idea persists that “contemporary women who lack the right kind of love are understood to be deficient in personal and social identity” (Weisser, 86). The text implies that currently women’s identity has not changed drastically from the past, as they still have to prove their worth through specific identities. It also indirectly suggests that men are the reason women live in this world. This changes their perspectives on life and manipulates them to believe false assumptions of love.

Weisser talks about the view of success in women by quoting a passage from Woman’s Life: “the woman who never loves or never has love offered her, may be called one of life’s most decided failures” (83). Weisser’s point is that a woman who never experiences romantic love will not be considered …show more content…
It shows that there is a correlation between identity through love and perspective of love. According to Weisser’s argument, I can conclude that women see themselves through a lens where they need to make men lust for them by objectifying themselves so that their love can last and they will be recognized as successful women according to the public’s