The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman

1085 Words3 Pages

In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper," Gilman makes adamant statements about feminism and the oppression of women during the 19th century. This story allows the reader to see into the mind of a woman who is slowly going insane and suffering from postpartum depression. During the 19th century, women were forced into a certain stereotype, that of wife and mother. Women were not allowed to express and challenge themselves the way men were. Just as the narrator of the story is trapped in her room, women are trapped in pretentious acts that do not allow them to explore their creativity and intelligence. Gilman displays how easily one can go insane when they are suppressed by a patriarchal society. Gilman’s illustration of a subordinate wife, fully dominated by her husband, proposes a sense of gender stereotypes, as well as the treatments prescribed for the mentally ill; as the narrator is forced to become unproductive, John continues to act superior to his wife and treat her like a prisoner and child.

An example of John’s feelings of superiority over Jane, is shown in how he adores the fact that she is a weak woman, who depends greatly on him. Throughout the story her behaviors exhibit that she feels inferior to her husband. Jane obeys every command John gives without asking any questions. Jane delivers, “He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction” (Gilman 474). Jane is forbidden to complete tasks on her own. Jane’s feelings of inferiority are deeply rooted from being under her husband’s complete control. Jane explains, “I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already!”(Gilman 474). John does everything for ...

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... and unjust environment drove the narrator insane. This story showed in depth how patriarchal our society was in the 1900’s. This story reveals the position under which society put women under. Women were expected by societal norms to fit the stereotypical ideal of what a woman should be. It points out the problem in a patriarchal society which is sexism and oppression towards women. This story demonstrates the struggle women had in terms of being heard and respected. Since this short stories publication, women have gained many of the rights that men have had for decades before, but there is still a long way to go before women and men are completely equal.

Perkins Gilman, Charlotte. “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 12th ed. New York: Pearson, 2013. 637-49. Print.

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