The Role Of Middle-Class Women In The Yellow Wallpaper

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When comparing the works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Betty Friedan, and Bell Hooks, I assert that both Gilman and Friedan stress that college educated, white upper- and middle-class women should have the incentive to fight against and alter the rigid boundaries of marriage; however, Hooks in her piece From Margin to Center argues that Friedan and other feminist writers during the second wave had written or spoke shortsightedly, failing to regard women of other races and classes who face the most sexist oppression.
In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Gilman tells the story of married white upper-class women who is striving to overcome her nervous depression with the aide of her domineering husband, John. To display her discomfort, Gilman relays, “If …show more content…

For instance, the narrator in Gilman’s story kept a secret diary where she would have the freedom to voice her thoughts. She describes this writing as a form of therapy or relief (Gilman, CP 164). Not being able to or being afraid to express one’s ideas were one of the hardships married upper- middle- class women faced. By the end of the story, the narrator becomes extremely disgruntled with her situation and rips off the yellow wallpaper in the room where she spends a majority of her time (Gilman, CP 169). Believing that she is one of the women trapped in the wallpaper, she finally able consider herself free from the control and boundaries of her marriage. Demonstrating that women should strive to break away from the restrictions of marriage and strive to expand their mind by being less dependent was Gilman’s intent when writing this …show more content…

Friedan fails to acknowledge other classes and races such as low-class African American individuals. It was almost like these individuals did not exist to her. In addition, Hook’s highlighted the fact that African-American had to face the "double bars" for being both a women and an African American. For such an influential piece of writing, it is unfortunate that The Feminine Mystique neglects to recognize other individuals besides upper- middle- class white

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