At some point in time, most of us will know the feeling: Your heart flutters when you see your partner walk in the room, and it feels like the time you spend together puts you on top of the world. Being in love is a part of life that many people strive to experience (and it can seem like every character in movies, books, and other stories we enjoy are focused around it in one way or another).
Disclaimer: In the 1950s and 1960s, falling in love was often understood as the first step toward marriage and family life. Romance was closely tied to stability and social approval, with love seen as the gateway to building a household. A woman who fell in love was expected to marry young, while a man was expected to provide and protect. These gender roles were rarely questioned, and most stories about love—from films to advertisements—reinforced the idea that a woman’s fulfillment came through being chosen by the right man.
