Sexism In The Yellow Wallpaper

In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper”, Charlotte Perkins Gilman tells the story through the first person point of view where the story is told by the narrator only. The story takes place around the 80s-90s century where the narrator and her husband stay in a mansion for her rescue. The narrator is predicted to be suffering from temporary nervous depression by her husband, brother, and Weir Mitchell. Throughout the story, the readers could easily see many images that imply to the sexist reality back in time and how women are put under the pressure of the unequal society with the stereotype that they are always the supporters rather than the main financial provider for the family. Gilman introduces a new fictional theme to the audience back

In a short story, symbolism refers to a word, person, object, or image that evokes a range of additional meanings that are usually more abstract than its literal significance. In this story, through “The Yellow Wallpaper”, Gilman portrays the narrator’s powerlessness to do what she wants. The narrator couldn’t change the wallpaper because it would lead other things to be changed, or just simply that John “would not hear of it” (Gilman 76,78). It is easy to understand that the narrator couldn’t change the wallpaper by herself since John is the man of the house. He holds all the finance and power when it comes to decision making, at least for now when the narrator is sick. The narrator is also “forbidden” to write ,which is how she releases her stress, due to John’s restrictions. John is the man of the house and also the doctor of the narrator, thus, he has the power and control over the narrator’s action. Therefore, the narrator is powerless to do what she wants. Another reason behind the narrator’s powerlessness could also be because she doesn’t want to disobey John who provides and takes care of her for almost everything (Gilman 77). The narrator acts like how the society expects her to which is listening and following the husband’s words. It is thus, the yellow wallpaper is not only represented the narrator’s powerlessness but the female limited power under the

The style is often understood as the distinctive and recognizable way an author uses language to create a work of literature. In this story, the readers could easily see the diction is used by both the narrator and the characters showing how social norm affect their behavior and action. In a literary work, diction often refers to the writer choice of language, including words, phrases, and sentence structure. In the story, the readers witness how John repeatedly calls the narrator a “little girl or darling”; John addresses the narrator as something powerless and non-harmful, though she is an adult (Gilman 82,83). Even though John loves the narrator; he unconsciously treats her like an object just like other men in the society. John does what he thinks is right for the narrator regardless of her opinions. John treats his woman just like how society expects him to. He makes all the decision for her life which is emphasized by how undoubtedly he agrees with the narrator’s brother and Weir Mitchell regard of the narrator’s sickness (Gilman 80,81,82). Therefore, out of all the love John has for the narrator, he unconsciously sees the narrator as an object that he has to take care of where he feels “much easier” about the narrator when she eats and sleeps like he wants her to (Gilman 81). In the sexist society, most women are expected to please and worship