Subtle Feminist Assertions in The Yellow Wallpaper
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper " was originally shunned by the American patriarchal literary powers present before the turn of the century. Despite editors' hesitation, Gilman's determination eventually led to the story's publication in New England Magazine in 1892. It was not until the early 1970's, however, that the story was adopted by the feminist literary movement and viewed as the author undoubtedly intended. A popularly held opinion among critics is that this delayed acceptance was "a case of misinterpretation by audiences used to 'traditional' literature. " Before the modern feminist movement in literature, readers would not have expected or looked for the kind of message found in "The Yellow Wallpaper." Were the story written a century later, the feminist message would likely be stronger. To get it published and portray the realities of her narrator, however, Gilman recognized the need for ambiguity in the story's feminist message. Gilman left the story open to patriarchal interpretations, but included enough commentary within and beyond the narration to convince the feminist reader of her true intentions.
The submissive unnamed protagonist and narrator acts as an enabler to her patriarchal surroundings. Gilman clarifies on the first page the narrator's feminist disinclination, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage." This defines the woman's attitude towards her position in her marriage and society. The woman's defeatism also works to 'put her in her place' in the patriarchal society. After briefly explaining that her husband does not believe s...
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...not discounting, does somewhat deflate, or mask, the argument that Gilman is offering a truism about the difference between males and females.
Some of the greatest writers, artists, and musicians have been patently misread or ignored by their contemporaries, only to be discovered as visionaries decades or centuries later. By creating a submissive female narrator, Gilman makes a powerful statement to the modern reader about the realities of women before the 20th century. The narrator's acquiescent quality is simultaneously a common trait for women of the time and the catalyst of her insanity. Considering the state of women when the story was written, the narrator had to be as she was to be believable. Thus, the story's recent rise to popularity must be attributed to Gilman's subtle feminist assertions, almost a century ahead of their time.
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"The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, depicts a woman in isolation, struggling to cope with mental illness, which has been diagnosed by her husband, a physician. Going beyond this surface level, the reader sees the narrator as a developing feminist, struggling with the societal values of the time. As a woman writer in the late nineteenth century, Gilman herself felt the adverse effects of the male-centric society, and consequently, placed many allusions to her own personal struggles as a feminist in her writing. Throughout the story, the narrator undergoes a psychological journey that correlates with the advancement of her mental condition. The restrictions which society places on her as a woman have a worsening effect on her until illness progresses into hysteria. The narrator makes comments and observations that demonstrate her will to overcome the oppression of the male dominant society. The conflict between her views and those of the society can be seen in the way she interacts physically, mentally, and emotionally with the three most prominent aspects of her life: her husband, John, the yellow wallpaper in her room, and her illness, "temporary nervous depression." In the end, her illness becomes a method of coping with the injustices forced upon her as a woman. As the reader delves into the narrative, a progression can be seen from the normality the narrator displays early in the passage, to the insanity she demonstrates near the conclusion.
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In “Panopticism” by Michel Foucalt, Foucalt believes that society works to mentally control people by creating institutions that act like the panopticon. These institutions, such as church, school, or hospitals, play a major role in subject formation in that they give you signals on what type of behavior and beliefs are acceptable in the society. These institutions are the government’s way of watching and controlling you. We are essentially powerless to escape the social norms our society chooses to adopt. One major institution that plays a huge role in Thao’s life is his family. A family is a socially constructed institution in that it teaches and prepares you for the behavior that is expected in society. Thao’s family is described by his sister, Sue, as “traditional Hmong” and is shown in a scene where Walt comes over for a Bar-B-Que and Sue gives him a rundown of Hmong cultural behavior. Thao is shown in this scene doing housework and c...
He argues that with the increasing number of people who are to be controlled in society, a tool that provide chances for the person watching over the rest to do so with ease is necessary (Foulcault 199). The panopticon is thus instrumental in ruling a large number of people at a go. Gilman’s argument also portrays men as busy individuals always seeking the most effective weapons to use against women. They have the intention of completely closing women from making any intrusion into their comfort zone. The results have also shown the extent of their brutality (Gilman 14). Women cannot speak out at will and are down trodden. They live under the mercies of men. Any attempt to counter their negativity is met with joint repulsion and hatred. The support men show on each of them is tremendous and Gilman is yearning to a time when women will be united to build their own
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Wohlpart, Jim. American Literature Research and Analysis Web Site. “Charlotte Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper.”” 1997. Florida Gulf Coast University
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"The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, tells the story of a woman's descent into madness as a result of the "rest and ignore the problem cure" that is frequently prescribed to cure hysteria and nervous conditions in women. More importantly, the story is about control and attacks the role of women in society. The narrator of the story is symbolic for all women in the late 1800s, a prisoner of a confining society. Women are expected to bear children, keep house and do only as they are told. Since men are privileged enough to have education, they hold jobs and make all the decisions. Thus, women are cast into the prison of acquiescence because they live in a world dominated by men. Since men suppress women, John, the narrator's husband, is presumed to have control over the protagonist. Gilman, however, suggests otherwise. She implies that it is a combination of society's control as well as the woman's personal weakness that contribute to the suppression of women. These two factors result in the woman's inability to make her own decisions and voice opposition to men.
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