In Act II: The Bridegroom, there is one line that specifically touches on the metaphysical aspect of love. On page 58, this line reads: “[Men and women] get carried away by the thought that they have absorbed the whole secret of love, but in fact they have not yet even touched it”. I interpreted this sentence as discussing the superficiality of love that can exist when it is based solely on fondness, desire, or benevolence alone. According to Pope John Paul II’s Love and Responsibility, all three of these virtues are necessary essences to establish true mutual love. Entirely loving relationships are founded in the mutuality of commitment to acknowledging the beloved as a certain good (fondness), directing the objective need of being to another (desire), and willing the good of another as a friendship that transcends affections (benevolence). When only one or two of these are present in a relationship, the couple can easily get lost in “a kaleidoscope of waves and situations full of attraction” that cause their love to be selfish and merely impossible to reciprocate (58).
Andrew and Teresa’s relationship in Act I: The Signals further exemplifies the second dimension of love: psychology. Describing personal emotions from their wedding day, both Andrew and Teresa illustrate their internal discipline of love. They reflect on how their love has developed over time – from first impressions, to growing deeper emotional connections that evolved into experiencing each other for their full individualistic values. Teresa says “[they] concluded that [they] had been present in the mirror from the beginning…” meaning all along, the two had experiences together that were impressed in each other’s minds, and helped their relationship to evolve and mature (43). Andrew later comments that their “love has overcome anxiety,” and that “[their] future depends on love” (43). This touches on Love and Responsibility’s ideology that “love influences imagination and memory, and at the same time lives under their influence”. Andrew’s statements at the end of Act I prove the power love has in controlling other emotions and peoples’ perceptions of the world around them/the future.
Act III: The Children perfectly explains the third dimension of love – ethics – in demonstrating how Monica and Christopher’s relationship differs from that of their parents. The fundamental ethics of love calls for mutuality in the couple acknowledging one another’s will. The possibility of entire self-gift must be present in order for a love, and a marriage, to be successful. Monica’s fear of intimacy is a result of her parents’ failed marriage. On page 75, she admits to be “afraid of [herself], and also afraid for [Christopher],” that she may be capable of hurting him in the same way she saw her parents hurt one another. Christopher’s confidence that “a unity will emerge” between the two of them encourages Monica to also acknowledge that as a couple entering into marriage, “[she and Christopher] must go together from now on” (76-77). Both Monica and Christopher trust that self-gift is fully mutual in their relationship, which is what sets it apart from the others described in The Jeweler’s Shop. Each relationship described in this story, therefore, takes on a role to illustrate the worldliness (metaphysical), internal discipline (psychology), and virtues (ethics) of love.
Maria Corr Blog 
Maria, I think you have really insightful interpretations of the relationships between the three couples. I would build on your third reflection of Act III on the relationship between Monica and Christopher by including a small reflection of the potential to heal broken hearts. Both Monica and Christopher have wounds from their pasts, be it the broken relationship of one’s parents or the complete absence of one. Entering into their marriage, both struggle with their own doubts and weaknesses, but woven throughout their dialogues are moments of strength and perseverance, and an optimism that what they have will be enough to bridge whatever was lost. This makes me actually think about what we are supposed to reflect on often in these blogs, the healing of the hookup culture. While both of these characters do not live in a “hookup culture,” perhaps as we define it, there is that healing aspect of their love and marriage there nonetheless.
LikeLike
I liked the point you made about all three aspects of the metaphysics of love needing to be present. Fondness, desire, and benevolence are necessary for a loving relationship. I think it is important to realize that these three things do not necessary mean that love, specifically spousal love, will exist between the two people. I had not thought of the idea of love controlling emotions and perceptions of the world and the people around them. People form impressions of others and these impressions cause emotions that they feel towards others, but I had not thought of love controlling peoples’ emotions.
LikeLike
I think you did a good job assessing how Karol Wojtyla deals with the three dimensions of love, metaphysics, psychology, and ethics, throughout the play. However, in my blog I discussed how I thought Andrew and Teresa’s relationship exemplified the theme of the metaphysics of love. Their love grew originally out of a strong, foundational friendship. Shortly after Andrew and Teresa became engaged, Andrew reflected on how it was not a love at first sight scenario. Teresa persisted in Andrew’s mind from the fondness and benevolence they had for one another as friends, and desire came after these when he realized that no matter how much he sought after others, Teresa was the one his mind always wandered back to. In this, Andrew realizes that desire alone is not enough for love and when love functions only for the good of the self, it is not truly love.
LikeLike