Abstract
This paper explains that, although "The Country Wife", a 1675 restoration comedy by William Wycherley, and "A Doll's House", an 1879 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, were written at different times, both portray the sexual politics that existed between couples during those periods. The author point out that both stories involve possessive love, marriages fraught with deception and struggles between the sexes; however, these plays differ in several significant ways. The paper relates that Wycherley's Margery is unsophisticated at the beginning of the play while Ibsen's Nora maintains a level of city sophistication throughout the play. The author states that the primary conflict between the couples is sex for Wycherley but money for Ibsen. The paper reveals that, while both Nora and Margery hold the majority of the power by the end of each play, Nora uses her power to leave her husband while Margery stays and manipulates her husband.

Table of Contents:
Love
Marriage
Sexual Politics
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Both men also treat their wives as being stupid. In Act I, Torvald calls out to Nora from his study, asking if it was his "little lark twittering out there" (Ibsen Act 1). He goes on to ask if she is his "little squirrel bustling about" and, later, takes her by her ear and calls her his "little featherhead" (Act 1). Clearly, Torval is objectifying his wife, rather than identifying her as a thinking woman. Similarly, Pinchwife feels that Margery is too stupid to make any plans to deceive him, even when she proves herself to the audience to be very capable of doing just that."

Tags:possessions, power, husbands, deception, manipulate

Abstract
This paper discusses how media is particularly dependent on sexual politics as a thematic representation and as a guiding force for human emotion and how this is particularly true with regard to dramatic representations in film. It focuses on two movies, which pay particularly close attention to sexual politics, "Swept Away" (the original 1974 and the newer 2002 versions) and "Pulp Fiction". It looks at how "Swept Away" pays particular interest to social class with an emphasis on sadomasochism and how "Pulp Fiction" deals with the inner workings of the sexual politics in a complicated subculture of sex, drugs and crime.

From the Paper
"The cinematography and setting of Swept Away in both film versions detail the loneliness of man in a world where individuals and whole societies express love and longing through materialism and end courting with violent and absurd expressions of pain and pleasure. The film, is similar in tenor to Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986) another cult classic film dedicated to the idea of sexual politics driving personal relationships and leading to not real love but love that is expressed through dominance and possession as well as objectified bodies. "

Tags:sadomasochism, materialism, sex, drugs, crime

Abstract
This paper looks at how, in her essay, "Why Black Sexual Politics", Patricia Hill Colins analyzes portrayals of black sexuality in the white-dominated media and in a white-dominated culture. The paper discusses how Collins argues that black bodies and black sexuality have been appropriated and manipulated by the dominant culture to perpetuate cycles of oppression and how this oppression does not end with racism but extends through to gender-based oppression, heterosexism, and class inequities.

From the Paper
"Collins shows how and why black sexuality continues to be presented as deviant, as wild, animalistic, primitive, and savage. When racism was overt, black sexuality was directly associated with animal perversion. Racism has gone underground in a sense; racism is now color-blind but continues to dictate ways black sexuality is portrayed in the mainstream media. Collins uses Beyonce, Destiny's Child, and Jennifer Lopez of icons of the new black sexuality and therefore, of the new racism. These artists and others like them have profited from the myth of black sexuality, capitalizing ironically on the new racism. Black sexuality is, however, an "invented discourse," notes Collins (p. 28). White media moguls and politicians have invented and wielded the discourse to maintain a position of domination and authority in society."

Tags:heterosexism, racism, oppression

Abstract
This paper addresses the politics of sexuality and gender in three specific works from ancient Greece. These works are dramas, and are the ?Iliad?, ?Antigone?, and ?Lysistrata?.

From the Paper
"The roles of men and women in Greek society are of particular interest, and demonstrate that a type of "fued" seemed to exist between the genders in ancient Greece. "

Tags:antigone, drama, gender, iliad, lysistrata, theater

Abstract
This paper compares and contrasts the concept of love between Asian culture and Western culture. It discusses love and marriage in Western culture and how these concepts have changed over time. It also discusses marriage in Western religions. The paper then discusses the concept of marriage in Asian cultures and society and how it has changed over time.

From the Paper
"To put Giddens' ideas regarding the institution of marriage into layman's terms, it can be compared to that of an at-will employer. When a person goes to work for such an organization, they are able to quit without giving any notice and, likewise, the company is able to terminate them at any time. The "pure relationship" works in the same sense. The husband or wife may exit at any time aided by legislature with no-fault divorce. There are many reasons why either one of them would want to terminate the agreement but, for the most part, it is because of a more appealing alternative."

Tags:divorce, society, commitment

Abstract
This paper shall provide a critical analysis to the statement: "Love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage". This shall be accomplished through addressing Hollywood films from the modern period that concern a fairly idealized impression of both love and marriage. Three modern films shall be examined in order to demonstrate this thesis and these films are commonly referred to as "romantic comedies" and are "The Runaway Bride", "Sense and Sensibility", and "My Best Friend's Wedding".

Abstract
In the work, "Jane Eyre", the primary character is searching for a means through which she can belong and feel loved. Interestingly, this desire conflicts with her extremely independent personality. Charlotte Bronte manages to describe the coming of age of a young woman and her subsequent ability to discover the joys of love and marriage in her work. These themes are explored in this paper.

From the Paper
"The novel begins with Jane being portrayed as an unloved orphan. She comes to depend on the love of others far too strongly in order to realize happiness. She eventually gains self esteem however, and in fact, rejects several marriage proposals; her reasons for doing so are a desire not to compromise her integrity, autonomy and right to a passionate love affair. The novel unravels to reveal the twisted tail of love realized, lost, and then found again."

Tags:woman, proposal

Abstract
The paper examines the book "Giovanni and Lusanna: Love and Marriage in Renaissance Florence" by Gene Brucker which discusses the contractual aspects of marriage that arise from the financial elements of the union of two families. In the book, Lusanna, who had been widowed, sued Giovanni - an aristocrat and her social better by at least one class - by seeking formal recognition of their union, of the secret "marriage" that the two of them had enjoyed. The paper shows that in challenging Giovanni's right to set the conditions of their relationship, Lusanna was challenging the rights socially acknowledged to him by virtue of his wealth, his gender and his class.

From the Paper
"For Lusanna loved Giovanni, and he loved her as well their affair is tempestuous and passionate, if also touched by tragedy at times. It is the story of two classes, two genders, two ways of seeing the world coming into conflict with each other " with the easily predictable result that the far more powerful side would win. But it is also a story of two people who love each other but who find themselves pulled apart " both because of the nature of the structure of the society in which they live and because of their own natures."

Tags:record-keepers, society, legalistic

Abstract
This paper examines two of the literary works of manners which were created during the 17th and 18th centuries. The books, "The House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton and "The Coquette" by Hannah Webster Foster provide a look at women's perception of marriage and to what extent society influenced them. The paper discusses the underlying themes of feminism and the quest for freedom in these novels, thereby illustrating the predominant female opinion of love and marriage.

From the Paper
"The author also highlights the highly judgmental nature of the New York's elite people. The class distinctions that existed in New York are clearly obvious when Simon Rosedale looks at Lily with a suspecting eye. (Just for the only reason that she had tea with Selden, a modest person) This is precisely the reason why Lily tries to conceal her meeting with Selden when Rosedale questions her about her presence at the Benedick. "Yes--I came up to see my dress-maker. I am just on my way to catch the train to the Trenors'." (Part 11)So in a way the society has contributed to the suppression of Lily's true feelings (her love for Selden) and her earning for the elusive status and security. What is more Lily is even forced to get involved in gambling (a pass time for the rich) just to cement her place in the higher society. One only gets the feeling that Lilly has virtually compromised the real things in her life in pursuing false vanities. In all Lily is thoroughly haunted by the fear of social seclusion and envisions that money alone could get her the status and security. Lily is bereft of these things and she seeks to restore hem through her marriage. But in her pursuit to secure the comforts and the status in life she looses her own real identity and becomes another victim of the society which is perverted by the negative stains of class and money."

Tags:eliza, lily, stanford, lawrence, selden

Abstract
This paper discusses and compares Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Nun's Priest's Tale" and Robert Henryson's "The Cock and the Fox." It shows how both tales are two works that are parodies of epic poetry and courtly romance. The paper particularly examines the ways that the tales present love and marriage and contrasts the views of the characters in the works.

From the Paper
"Chaucer and Henryson may both respect the institutions of love and marriage, but in these texts they are casting critical eyes on traditional ideas of courtly love and romance. Clearly they are making fun of the genre of love poetry which has dominated their literary culture. Chaucer shows the follies of dramatic love by having chickens play the prescribed hero and heroine roles, and Henryson creates characters that blatantly behave opposite to romantic conventions. Their works are evidence that courtly love was not always taken seriously."

Tags:romance, rooster, fox