The Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Gilman - 1542 Words

The short story, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper†, written by Charlotte Gilman, presents as a feminist text written in protest to the treatment of women by a male dominated society. The story is told from the narrator’s perspective, a woman who’s name we never learn. A woman suffering from post-natal-depression who is prescribed the remedy of the day, a course of treatment known as â€Å"rest cure†, in which the sufferer is confined to bed and not allowed to partake in the activities of daily life. This extended period of isolation and activity deprivation drives the narrator further into a depression, and later into insanity as she tries to cope with the isolation. In the story, the patriarchy of society is blamed in part for the narrator’s mental†¦show more content†¦The women are also portrayed as being inferior to men with the men being shown as more intelligent and in general better than the women. This shows not only the male dominance in society in general but also in the family unit. This can be seen when the husband forces the narrator to occupy the nursery upstairs, against the wife’s wishes. Her attempts to move to a different room are rejected by the husband. This shows the husbands higher status in the family. This can be seen when the narrator says, â€Å"If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency – what is one to do?† (Gilman, 473). This quote by the narrator shows John’s status as a doctor and husband are of higher social status and importance and because of this, the narrator feels she must accept what he says as true. Another example of the narrator being treated as a child is when her husband refuses to let her visit her relatives and she begins crying, the husband, misunderstanding her tears picks her up carr ies her to bed and reads to her until she falls asleep. Each of the husband’s actions seem to reinforce the idea that he is in charge and sees his wife as little more than a child that requires his attentions. First, he carries her in his arms, displaying his physical strength andShow MoreRelatedThe Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman1116 Words   |  5 PagesThe Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† written by Charlotte Gilman is a chilling portrayal of a woman’s downward spiral towards madness after undergoing treatment for postpartum depression in the 1800’s. The narrator, whose name remains nameless, represents the hundreds of middle to upper- class women who were diagnosed with â€Å"hysteria† and prescribed a â€Å"rest† treatment. Although Gilman’s story was a heroic attempt to â€Å"save people from being driven crazy† (GilmanRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Gilman992 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The yellow wallpaper† The Yellow Wallpaper is a story about women’s repression in the 19th century. This story shows an immense difference between men and women inside society. While the men are the one making the decisions and taking responsibility, women must accept their obligations. The protagonist is repressed and appear for the effect of the oppression of women in society. This effect is develop by the use of complex symbols such as, the room, the wallpaper, the window which facilitates herRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Gilman958 Words   |  4 Pagesbabies. 100 years ago this wasn’t a diagnosis, it was very common and plenty of women went through it. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Gilman, talks about how the main character in the story was suffering from postpartum depression, schizophrenia and obsession. These depressions led her to write this story to expose physician’s misdiagnoses and lack of understanding. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in 1860 in Hartford Connecticut, her childhood led to depression and her suicide. Her father abandonedRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Gilman1381 Words   |  6 PagesThe Yellow Wallpaper, written by the famous Charlotte Perkins, is a captivating short story published in 1892 that presents the story from the perspective of the narrator. This story is quite fascinating and readers may easily view it from different perspectives. For example, some readers may interpret it as a medical critique while others may view it as feminist allegory. In this short story, Charlotte Gilman uses her personal experiences with pregnancy, especially the depression and anxiety thatRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Gilman1574 Words   |  7 PagesThe yellow wallpaper by charlotte Gilman is about a woman who slowly descends into madness trying to please herself and have a voice even though she is a woman in a time that is is expected for her to obe y her husband and be the wife he wants her to be. This short story took many years to be published, one publisher even wrote in a rejection letter to Gillman that stated â€Å"I could not forgive myself if I made others as miserable as I have made myself by reading this† (Stephens, 1997). The commentRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Gilman Essay1205 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Gilman examines the negative effects of the â€Å"rest cure†, a common approach used in the nineteenth century to treat women suffering from severe nervous symptoms (Bassuk 245). The text not only condemns the callous, medical treatment that the narrator endures, but, it also addresses the misogynistic beliefs and the resulting gender inequalities that endorse the use of such treatments. This theme is made explicit in the narrator’s persistent attempts to escape theRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Gilman1582 Words   |  7 Pag eshusbands want them to do, as well as what society wants them to do. Charlotte Gilman published The Yellow Wallpaper in 1892 and wrote this short story because she experienced the same confinement that the narrator did. The narrator s role in the family in the short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, represents the ideals and attitudes toward gender roles in the Victorian Era which will evolve into present-day ideas and roles. Gilman s use of confinement throughout the story provides context as to howRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Gilman964 Words   |  4 Pageslearn from this experience. Reading scholarly articles was not easy at all. They were long and had many words I did not understand; it was actually the first time I had ever read scholarly articles. I choose the story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Gilman. The Yellow Wallpaper was a good story to write about because it was challenging and interesting. Writing a research paper could be challenging in so many level; it test your knowledge and skills. For example, having to fully understand theRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1362 Words   |  6 Pagesas freaks. In the short story â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, both of these elements are present. Gilman did a wonderful job portraying how women are not taken seriously and how lightly mental illnesses are taken. Gilman had, too, had firsthand experience with the physician in the story. Charlotte Perkins Gilman s believes that there really was no difference in means of way of thinking between men or women is strongly. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a short story about a woman whoRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1547 Words   |  7 PagesCharlotte Perkins Gilman s career as a leading feminists and social activist translated into her writing as did her personal life. Gilman s treatment for her sever e depression and feelings of confinement in her marriage were paralleled by the narrator in her shorty story, The Yellow Wallpaper. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. Her parents, Mary Fitch Perkins and Fredrick Beecher Perkins, divorced in 1869. Her dad, a distinguished librarian and magazine editor