Throughout history, men and women have relied on each other, especially when it comes to having a family. Although nowadays it is much more common to have a single parent family, when we think of a family, we think of a mother and a father. One play where the relationship between a man and a woman is the main focus point of the plot is "A Doll House" by Henrik Ibsen. This play focuses on the way that women are seen, especially in the context of marriage and motherhood. When we think of a man and a woman, we always think of the man as the dominant figure, and the woman as fragile beauty. In Ibsen's play, this idea is very clearly illustrated by the way Torvald treats Nora and calls her such things as "lark" and "little woman". Torvald, in particular, has a very clear and narrow definition of a woman's role which is that he believes the sacred duty of a woman is to be a good wife and mother. He also sees women as both child-like, helpless creatures detached from reality solely responsible for the purity of the world through their influence in the home. The perception of manliness is also discussed, though in a much more subtle way. Nora's description of Torvald suggests that she is partially aware of the lies under lied in a man's role, whereas Torvald's conception of manliness is based on the value of total independence.
             The other play which uses men and women as a main focus point throughout the story is "The Glass Menagerie" by Williams. Tom (the narrator) lives in a house with two women who need him and basically beg him not to leave them. This idea illustrates the power that a man has over his household and how a man figure is needed to run a proper family, married or not. This play is replete with lyrical symbolism for both Tom and Laura. The "glass menagerie", in its fragility and beauty, is a symbol not just for Laura, but for all women livi...