Astghik Sargsyan. Essay #1
Romantic Love and the Modern Nuclear Family
Robert J Trotter in his article “How Do I Love Thee” brings neat details about different types of
love; commitment, intimacy, and passion are the active ingredients of endless love.
According to Sternberg’s theory of love Robert J gives eight different explanations of ele-
ments of love in a triangle. According to the author love has tree face which are commitment,
intimacy, and passion. In his theory he claims that if one of these three elements is missing
there cant not be a complete and endless love. In his first triangle he shows non love where all
the elements are missing. In his second description of Sternberg’s theory he indicates the if in-
timacy and passion are missing that kind of love is friendship. In the third analysis Robert J.
Talks about infatuation which is based only on passion. The forth triangle of the author indicates
empty love where only one person makes commitments and there is no intimacy or passion. Ac-
cording to the author this kind of love used to be completed but not any more and couples lost
their passion and intimacy to each other and only commitment band them together. can be re-
spond from the other. The next triangle indicates Romantic Love such as Romeo and Juliet or
Hollywood love. This kind of love is like a fire it starts all of a sadden grows very quickly be-
comes a burning building and lasts as quick as it started. This kind of love is free of any kind of
responsibilities or commitments. Even though it may be a really short love but it can take the
couple to the moon making them very happy. The next triangle that the author analysis is called
fatuous. This involves passion plus commitment. According to the Sternberg this kind of love
usually doesn’t work out. The seventh triangle indicates commitment and intimacy. According to
the author this kind of love kills the physical attraction. When people live together for a very long
time they may lose their physical attraction to each other. This is why affairs may occur. The last
but not the least kind of love described in the article is consummate love. This triangle is the
luckiest one since all elements of Sternberg are brought together. This is the ideal love which
has the “live happily ever after”. This is a rare kind of love which makes couple complete. One of
the best examples of consummate love is Regan and Nancy.
On the other hand, according to Ian Robertson, romantic love is what makes American people
happy couples. It occurs when two people meet and find each other attractive both physically
and personally. Robertson claims that American culture encourages American people to find that
one and only love which he claims is Romantic Love. According to the author this is love which
can be a perfect base for the “live happily ever after”, whereas, according to Sternberg’s “love
system”, Romantic love is just a summer affair.
Robertson claims that there are three ba...
