Romantic Love Stereotypes

Throughout much of history, Romantic love was often characterized as something ineffable, a notion that is best understood through the senses. It is only until recently that we are finding the subject of Romantic love discussed within the context of societal strictures and its role in the reinforcement of gender stereotypes. This reinforcement of stereotypes becomes particularly apparent when considering how often women are portrayed as “damsels in distress” in romantic love narratives. This image of the helpless damsel has been traditionally depicted as the feminine ideal, and is a literary archetype that leaves many female characters underdeveloped and without a voice. With such rigid gender roles in place within the romantic genre, the question