In Western culture, there have been attempts to establish polygamist groups, primarily based upon differing religious viewpoints; however, most of these have not been able to withstand the pressure applied by the religious and cultural majority. If one wants to live and prosper in a given society, it is not advantageous to swim too hard against the current.

In the movie, "Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands," while it ends with the three main characters living together happily ever after, it is in a spiritual sense that they do so, rather than an actual polygamist relationship. Dona Flor's first husband's spirit remains with her during her second marriage to fill something lacking in her new relationship. In a sense, we all do this in our relationships. A bit of the essence of our past loves remains with us throughout our lives, filling whatever voids

Teodoro wanted a beautiful wife to care for. He wanted to share his life with a woman, with her serving the role of a companion. He is so formal and unromantic that he finds himself providing Flor with scientific explanations for the beauty she saw in the night sky. He constantly kisses her on the forehead as a father would to a child. His first steps after the honeymoon were to fire Flor's long-employed maid and to reorganize the house with "a place for everything and everything in its place!" The Doctor got everything he wanted from Flor. She became the dutiful, loving wife and companion he wanted on the outside, while on the inside she maintained her passion and excitement with Vadinho.

Vadinho wanted Flor to support his habits: drinking, gambling and sex. His love for her was more of a passionate sort rather than a romantic one and even during their wedding night he gambled heavily and visited a house of prostitution. When Flor mentions that she sometimes thinks they could be a "couple like any other," Vadinho replies "Sure, and we'd sit on the sidewalk and gossip, I'd play backgammon while you read this book from the girl's library." He could not live a quiet average lifestyle and deep inside she realized and accepted this. Flor did support and accept his habits, though reluctantly, as long as he provided her with the passion and excitement she needed. Even when he beat her for her last hidden stash of money, she could not bring herself to pack up and leave without the prodding

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Approximate Word count = 1015
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)