"Marriage is an alliance entered into by a man who can't sleep with the window shut, and a woman who can't sleep with the window open" (Shaw). According to the Random House Webster's College Dictionary, a marriage is "the social institution under which a man and woman live as husband and wife by legal or religious commitments" (812). These theories shape how people behave and what they expect from a marriage. There is some accuracy in these definitions, but there are also misinterpretation, myths, and exaggeration. More people tend to think twice before they get married. Couples enter into their first marriage at a later age than in the past. A considerable percentage of couples live together for a period of time before getting married. Marriage is important because it provides an environment for raising children. Many relationships go wrong in the United States; almost fifty percent end up...