Scribd
Upload
15 views

Document

The document provides a summary and analysis of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It discusses how the story critiques the unequal relationship between men and women in 19th century society, as shown through John's belittling of his wife and treatment of her more as a child or possession. His dismissal of her thoughts and insistence she depend solely on him illustrates how women were deprived of independence and respect. The story highlights the physical and mental deterioration of women during this time period and helped bring attention to fighting for improved women's rights and status in society.

Uploaded by

Iqra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
15 views

Document

The document provides a summary and analysis of the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It discusses how the story critiques the unequal relationship between men and women in 19th century society, as shown through John's belittling of his wife and treatment of her more as a child or possession. His dismissal of her thoughts and insistence she depend solely on him illustrates how women were deprived of independence and respect. The story highlights the physical and mental deterioration of women during this time period and helped bring attention to fighting for improved women's rights and status in society.

Uploaded by

Iqra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a popular literary piece for critical

analysis, especially in women’s gender studies. It focuses on several inequalities in the


relation between John and his wife. It was published for the first time in 1892 in a New
England magazine and is considered to be one of the earliest and essential feminist literary
pieces in America. The story illustrates the physical as well as the mental deterioration of
women during the 19 century due to a medically prescribed treatment of being allowed to do
nothing. Gilman created a very effective fictional narrative based on her personal experience
with depression, and this had a strong impact on other women. This story was written to
condemn the sexual politics, which make the medical treatment prescribed possible.
The story is critically acclaimed because it brings into focus the unequal relationship the
males and females in the society. The male gender is perceived to dominate society while the
female gender is not given the space to make decisions independently of men. This is seen in
the instances when John belittles his wife’s creative endeavors. John does not respect his
wife, and so he treats her like one of his children by calling her a little girl.
This makes the wife dislike her house. To her, the environment seems too isolated, making
her unhappy. The story portrays women in Western society as deprived of their rights.
Instead, they are treated like objects or men’s possessions. They have nowhere to exercise
their personal freedoms, and they feel belittled by the male counterparts. For instance, John
keeps on dismissing his wife’s thoughts and opinions. He believes that his wife should
depend solely on him for almost everything. This is why this story has enjoyed such
popularity, mostly by women who feel that they deserve a better place in the society, that
they need space to exercise their creativity and productivity. Women feel they have strong
potential and the ability to do anything, just like men do, and they should not depend on men
for everything. Rather, they should depend on men as much as men depend on women.
Women should have their decisions respected, and no one should dismiss their ideas. Instead,
ideas should be shared and debated, regardless of gender. Moreover, men should support
women as equals rather than belittle them.
In Gilman’s story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” John acts as the mirror through which women
are viewed negatively in the society, a society in which women are not perceived to be full
citizens. They are not supposed to be anywhere near the political arena or in the public eye.
Instead, they should remain in their homes. This view has led to women fighting for their
rights through creating women movements to fight for their place in the society.

You might also like