The Yellow Wallpaper

1807 Words4 Pages

“The yellow wallpaper” was published in 1892 as part of Charlotte Perkins Gilman work. Its prominence is great because of its theme which sought to liberate women who at the time were dominated by their male counterparts. In the 1800’s women never enjoyed the privileges they do in the contemporary world but were greatly dominated by the patriarch society. By late 1800’s women had slowly and determinedly started to fight for their position, this was through literature and seeking positions that were previously looked at as a man’s privilege. It is their purposeful strive that has led to the current gains enjoyed by the modern woman. In this particular work “The yellow paper” Gilman explores gender roles in marriage and family, the difference in woman vs. children and insubordination.

“The yellow paper” utilizes epistolary style of writing; it is compiled from a series of journal entries compiled by a woman who has been subjected to a house rest by a physician who happens to be the husband. The story begins when the woman and the husband moves in to an epic house for the summer. From the very first day the woman has reservations on the new home, terming it as a “colonial mansion” and wondered why it was so cheap and why it had stayed so long without being tenanted (Gilman 1). She held that the low cost and failure to get rented only meant there was something wrong with the house, but she could not point to what it was. Her conclusion, it was a queer house. Her reservations on the house did little to change her husband’s stand on what she had to do and where she had to stay. This is because according to the husband she was suffering from postpartum psychosis after she gave birth to their child. Her husband believes the cure to this...

... middle of paper ...

...ted

Bernstock, Shari. The Private self: theory and practice of women's autobiographical writings. New York: UNC Press Books, 1988. Print.

Boles, Janet K. and Diane Long Hoeveler. Historical dictionary of feminism. New York: Scarecrow Press, 2004. Print.

Delap, Lucy. The feminist avant-garde: transatlantic encounters of the early twentieth century. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. Print.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins and Catherine Golden. Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The yellow wallpaper: a source book and critical edition. New York: Routledge, 2004. Print.

Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. New York: Forgotten Books, 1973. Print.

Kahle, Antje. First Wave of Feminism in Politics and Literature. New York: GRIN Verlag, 2010. Print.

Rudd, Jill and Val Gough. Charlotte Perkins Gilman: optimist reformer. New York: University of Iowa, 1999. Print.

Open Document