The Yellow Wallpaper review

The Yellow Wallpaper review

            Women’s role during the 19^th century were such that they had to conform to the conventions of the society. During this period the society conventions were that women had to get married young beautiful and while pure. women were  like objects owned by the men, and their opinion or what they were feeling it was irrelevant. it was their compulsory role to produce “heir and a spare” and those who would not do, the society despised them. their lives included double standards where they were supposed to accept their husband’s children out of wedlock , yet it was not their responsibility. Charlotte Perkins in the “The Yellow Wallpaper”uses the story to depict the plight of the women during the Victorian period, amd what she had to go through mentally as they took treatment for depression after realising that they were not satisfied with the life they were having as objects of the society.

According to Charlotte the role of Victorian woman expected by the society made them acquire some sort of depression. The society during this period was patriarchal, as women were expected to do everything without any questioning. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” story the narrator is an object of her husband. She is living in a cage ; in her torrid yellow prison which has barred walls and windows. The husband spends very little time at home, and enjoys most of his life in the town. He shows very little concern about the condition of his wife, and ignores it as if it does not exist. The narrator’s home is not a place of comfort, as it should be for women as the companionship between her husband is lost completely. She has no one to talk to, and she only have conversation on a paper, since everyone only speaks to her about her condition and not anything else, Thus, her role as a wife has been stripped off, and robbed her mother’s role and her status has been reduced to an object owned by her husband.

men as depicted in the story utilizes their power in the wrong way just to make women their subjects. In the Gilman’s story Jane, the main protagonist as much as she is trying to free herself from domineering male doctor who puts her under a debilitating and forced medication, the ill intention of the male cannot let it happen. The medications instead of helping jane they denies her the freedom to participate in intellectually stimulating activities that the rest of the society engages in. Thus, it is clear from the “The Yellow Wallpaper” that men engaged in erroneous medical conventions towards women, which shows the social injustices that the women were going through during the 19^th century.

during the 19^th century men were unquestionably accepted as the ones who held the ultimate authoritative position of patriarch including provider, protector,  man of the house  as well as father. Thus, they had the power to define women’s roles within a family set-up and society. on the other hand , Gilman reveals the role of women as limited to bearing children, being submissive to the husband, protecting her family as well as maintaining and valuing her outer looks, which according to society indicated woman’s intelligence and personal character. Thus, while man was always the superior woman was inferior, and a subject to the man and society.

The Yellow paper story also helps in shedding light about about the issues that women during the 19^th century were going through while dealing with marriage,  just to fulfil their role of protecting household. The fact that the narrator’s husband spend most of his time in the town is something that the wife does not question even though back in her mind knows it denies them, a chance to build a strong family. Additionally, through the character’s predicament the author reveals about  the patriarchal oppression s and medical stereotypes on the health of women. a young woman according to Gilman was having mental demise under the watchful eyes of the male medical doctor and her husbands, as she continues to take debilitating medicines for women melodies, to ensure her intelligence remains at low level.

Gilman in this story manages to reveal that society defined women’s role, which led to severe and strict code of conducts for women, thinking and  ideologies as well as self-expression denial in fulfilling marriage and social role functions.  Men viewed them as physically smaller and that their monthly menses cycle was what led to the temporarily insanity, as revealed through Jane. Thus, men used the concept of fragility not only to determine but to limit women identity by showing them that they were inferior compared to male.

As revealed in the “yellow Paper” women during the 19^th century had no voice or choice regarding matters of economic, emotional and social welfare. The men dominating status made women accept their identity as weak before men and their role was only being submissive to their husbands and society. Men, went out and this created the stereotype that they were the only sole providers and women had to obey them without questioning. Hence, they made women believe they were weak and inferior and would not handle the outside since it was a world full of brutality and trouble and only men had the power to endure.