Compare And Contrast The Yellow Wallpaper And The Story Of An Hour

The Yellow Wallpaper & The Story of an Hour Literary Analysis In both The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, the authors develop detailed yet ambiguous stories riddled with common themes, clever symbols, fitting settings and dramatic conflict, creating classics we can not only glean from, but also enjoy as an entertaining read. When analyzed, the two short stories seem to mirror each other’s purpose through a mutual theme communicated in each story. This, however, does not stop at just that. It actually carries over to not only the general setting, but also the conflicts at hand and symbols used by the pair of writers, creating a great example of two literary works that can be compared successfully

The Story of an Hour and The Yellow Wallpaper both use an open window as the main escape to reality for the oppressed women. Gilman introduces the open window, again, more subtly than her counterpart while also describing it from a different viewpoint. In The Yellow Wallpaper the narrator, Jane, begins the story seemingly enamored with the landscape of the house outside her room and often mentions the “delicious gardens”, “grape covered arbors”, and “box-bordered paths” (Gilman, 239). However, when she tells John of her strange feeling about the house he blames it on a draft and promptly shuts it. This symbolically shuts all hope for Jane’s well-being and prompts her downfall into insanity. Conversely, Chopin approaches the open window as a chance for freedom for Mrs. Mallard. The same striking elements of the outer lying scenery are described with imagery from Chopin as well. Yet Chopin uses the open window to symbolize the new and beautiful life Mrs. Mallard is entering after her husband’s death, unlike Gilman’s portrayal of the terrible one Jane is being drug into. Again, both authors combine for two completely opposing interpretations of the same literary element, allowing the reader to experience the full spectrum its

It is clearly outlined by both Chopin and Gilman and does a remarkable job in reinforcing the theme of the oppressiveness of the tradition of marriage. Chopin presents the struggle between sexes in a more intellectual way when she writes “The would be no more powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow creature.” (Chopin, 237). On the contrary, Gilman is more direct with Jane’s description of her thoughts on John, stating “He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things” (Gilman, 238). Both authors representation of conflict are equal, however, it is not until further into the development of The Story of an Hour that we learn Mr. and Mrs. Mallard were actually at such odds. Unlike Chopin, Gilman informs the reader quite early of Jane’s power struggle with John. This is yet another example of how the two authors take differing paths while explicating a common