Comparing The Yellow Wallpaper And A Jury Of Her Peers

The U.S. saw the rise of the many groups during the Progressive Era which began in 1890 and continued through 1920. Specifically, there was social activism associated with the women during this time period. This turn of the century was characterized by what are now considered great works of feminist literature. Examples of such are “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Gillman and “A Jury of her Peers” by Susan Glaspell. Both short stories were written during this Progressive Era, during which feminism peaked. These two short stories are similar because they both present women within a patriarchal society but they differ in their presentation of sisterhood, process used to resist the patriarchy, and the political functions that take effect within.

To begin, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is about a married woman, Jane, who is treated by

her husband, a man of science, through the popular “rest cure” of that time. It is a documentation by Jane of her experiences and her journey to eventual insanity, an insanity which was driven by a patriarchal marriage in which she had no say. This forced her to realize that she was the one trapped in the wallpaper, a realization that set her free. On the other hand, “A Jury of her Peers” is about two women, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, who solve the motive to a crime being investigated by their husbands. The two women work together to protect the victim, Mrs. Wright, who had killed her husband. These women find sisterhood within themselves throughout, which led them to do what they did. The patriarchal forces which caused Minnie to murder her husband would not dominate their lives. Evidently, patriarchy played a role in each story. However, the differences initially listed make these two stories very different from one another.
Firstly, the central idea that ties both works together is the idea of women in the form of a sisterhood rising against patriarchy. However, this “sisterhood,” or the bonding of women through common conditions, experiences, or concerns, can be seen differently throughout both short stories. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” this sisterhood can be seen in a figurative form. The narrator has nobody but herself to look to. Her sister-in-law, Jennie, isn’t much help either. The sisterly connection between the two women seems to be weak. However, her bond with the “woman in the wallpaper” was very evident. “That was clever, for really I wasn’t alone a bit! As soon as it was moonlight, and that poor thing began to crawl and shake the pattern, I got up and ran to help her.” (Gillman 145) This shows that she didn’t feel alone, she felt something between her and the mystery woman and she related to her. She had a bond of sisterhood, their struggles held them together. “I’ve got out at last,” said I, “in spite of you and Jane! And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!” (Gillman 147) Since Jane, in this statement, referred to “Jane” as another person and herself as the one that was in the wall, it can be inferred that the woman trapped was indeed Jane herself.
By contrast, the sisterhood shown in “A Jury of Her Peers is expressed in much more literal terms. It is very evident from the beginning of the story that Mrs. Hale is more willing to rise against patriarchal males than is Mrs. Peters due to her defiant character. However, though Mrs. Peters is a woman of the law, she eventually discovers a bond between her and Mrs. Hale. The bond that is their sisterhood comes from their ability to relate to Minnie. Throughout the story, there are moments that show this connection between the two women. The first time is when the women discover the change in the pattern of Minnie’s unfinished quilt. “Their eyes met—something flashed to life, passed between them” (Glaspell 294). These moments occur often throughout the story. Each time the women discover something new, it’s as if it holds them together. The last instance occurs just before Mrs. Peters gathers the courage to attempt to conceal the evidence. “Her [Mrs. Hale] eyes made her turn back. Slowly, unwillingly, Mrs. Peters turned her head until her eyes met with the eyes of the other woman” (Glaspell 299). The unspoken bond between the women brings Peters to try and protect Minnie, even though she was “married to the law” (Glaspell 299).
Once the women in these two works discover the sisterhood that brings them together, there is a battle against the patriarchal norms which dominate their everyday lives.

The women in these two stories both rise against these norms in separate ways, but both so with a sense of sisterhood involved. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator shows resistance in ways such as writing even though her husband thinks it’s “silly.” However, the event which demonstrates her resistance the most is when she decides to lock herself in her room and tear all of the wallpaper from the walls which had contained her. “Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it! All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths just shriek with derision!” (Gillman 146). The wallpaper symbolizes what trapped her, the women within it symbolize herself. When she removes this wallpaper, she frees herself from what was oppressing her: the patriarchal marriage which had dominated her life, actions, and character. “I’ve got out at last,” (Gillman 147) she exclaims as she meets her

husband.
Differently, in “A Jury of her Peers,” the two main female characters, Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters, band together to conceal evidence of a crime from their husbands. The reason for this was their bond to Minnie as well as the constant ridicule received from their male counterparts. It seems as though the women grew tired of constantly being laughed about the “trifles” which led them to the motive. Ridicules such as “They wonder whether she was going to quilt it or just knot it!” (Glaspell 293) and underestimation such as “Oh, I guess they’re not very dangerous things the ladies have picked out” (Glaspell 298) led these women to conceal what the men wanted most but didn’t get because all they did was laugh at women and their ways.
The last different between these two stories is the political functions found within. Though “The Yellow Wallpaper” has none of these functions, there is a reason why. The narrator of the story is the wife of a scientist and is therefore considered to be of higher class in those days’ standards. She is more subservient to her husband, as were similar women during this time period. Her actions throughout the story demonstrate this theme, and it’s one of the reasons why she resisted her patriarchal marriage. When she writes about the men in her life, John and her brother, and their belief in the “rest cure,” she writes that she disagrees with their beliefs. “Personally I disagree with their ideas.” (Gillman 131) This scenario continues throughout her writing. Though she feels a certain way about things, she is constantly put down about her ideas and so she decides to write about it instead of trying to speak to her stubborn husband. “I did write for a while in spite of them; but it does exhaust me a good deal— having to be so sly about it, or else meet with heavy opposition.” (Gillman 132) Writing seemed to be Jane’s only outlet but even that right was taken away from her by her husband. If John wouldn’t have laughed at her ideas and actually listened to his wife, maybe she wouldn’t have realized that she was trapped in her marriage.
Oppositely, in “A Jury of Her Peers,” there is evidence of these political functions. The main character, Mrs. Hale, is of the working class. Women of the working class during this time were more likely to take action against their male counterparts since they now had the right to vote, along with all other women. This is why the attorney within this story backtracks on one of his statements about the Minnie having “something more serious than preserves to worry about” (Glaspell 289). The story says: “The county attorney seemed suddenly to remember his manners—and think of his future. ‘And yet,’ said he, with the gallantry of a young politician, “for all their worries, what would we do without the ladies?’” (Glaspell 298). He used what is known informally as “politicking,” in which politicians take actions in their favor. Though he did so, it was too late to backtrack from the insults made against the women and their “trifles” which is why they decided to conceal what they had discovered from these so called “trifles.”
Though both stories are connected by the time period in which they were written as well as their themes of patriarchy, there are striking differences between the two short stories. Sisterhood in both is shown in different ways: one appears more figurative, the other literal. There are also different ways in which the female characters rise against the patriarchy in each’s life. Finally, political functions appear in one and can be related to the other. Essentially, the women in these stories both desired to be set free from the chains which held them down by marriage to men who dominated their lives. Sisterhood proves to be a powerful bond between these women, who create the power and strength to overcome the norm that was set for them without their desire during this period of time.