The question that characterizes the beginning of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" (1892) is one that many women in the nineteenth and twentieth century will likely have posed to themselves. “What is one to do?” Gilman’s narrator asks repeatedly, when, as a woman in the late nineteenth century, one has no choice but to assume the role of the helpless wife and mother under the oppression of male authority. The Yellow Wallpaper challenges this stereotypical image of womanhood as well as the unequal relationships between women and men that come along with a male dominated society and its ideology of “masculine rationality vs. feminine irrationality” (Rodriguez Salas 2012).
As a result of being diagnosed with, what was then called, “nervous prostration” – generally regarded as hysteria – and prescribed the “rest cure” (Gilman 1935), Gilman also explores and brings to light the problematic views on and treatment of mental health in the nineteenth and twentieth century. At the time, hysteria was primarily associated with passivity, the result of leading a “softer life” and having an overactive imagination – all stereotypically feminine behaviours – and was thus diagnosed primarily in women (Kahane 1995: 10). In her autobiography Gilman talks about how she was not allowed to write, paint or have more than “two hours’ intellectual life a day” and how she was supposed to “live as domestic a life as possible” (Gilman 1935), all of which are elements that are closely reflected in the protagonist’s diagnosis in The Yellow Wallpaper.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Analysis of the gender dynamics in The Yellow Wallpaper
2.1. Gender stereotypes and the inequality within the protagonist’s marriage
2.2. The protagonist’s growing resentment towards her husband
2.3. Symbolism of the nursery and the yellow wallpaper
2.4. The woman in the wallpaper and the significance of “Jane”
3. Conclusion
Research Objective and Core Topics
This paper aims to critically examine the gender dynamics and patriarchal hierarchies depicted in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, focusing on how the female protagonist navigates liberation within an oppressive society.
- Feminist and gender-critical literary analysis
- Medical discourse and the treatment of "hysteria" in the 19th century
- Symbolism of domestic confinement and imprisonment
- The role of the protagonist's writing as an act of resistance
- Reversal of traditional gender roles and power structures
Excerpt from the Book
2.2. The protagonist’s growing resentment towards her husband
It is that secrecy however, that exhausts her to the point of not wanting to or feeling able to write any more (277; 105-106). Being confined in the room that is supposedly an old nursery (273; 32) with nothing to do but to “stare at the walls and ceiling,” she becomes increasingly angry with John and his treatment of her as though she were a child (Ghandeharion & Mazari 2016: 122). This notion of women being lost without men and therefore dependant on their “male counterparts” may be referred to as “infantilization” (Ibid.). Not only does John humiliate and belittle his wife by calling her a “little girl” (278; 133) or a “blessed little goose” (274; 56), he makes her feel guilty about being ill by acting, on the surface, like a caring and loving husband. She describes feeling like a burden to him since she is incapable of doing anything productive for no apparent reason at all (274; 47). Of course, there are plenty of reasons as to why she might experience nervousness and depression but they are being dismissed and even laughed at by John (274). This is a clear reflection of how mental health was viewed at the time. The limited medical knowledge of and experience with it stemmed from the men that came back from the Civil War with, what would nowadays be considered, post-traumatic stress disorder (Thrailkill 2002: 529). Thrailkill argues that “the domesticated wife is basically a victim of household rather than battlefield carnage” which was, in the eyes of medical men, hardly a valid reason to experience anxiety and depression (Ibid.). Hence, signs of “insanity” were generally given the same treatment and prescription as physical symptoms (Ghandeharion & Mazari 2016: 116).
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction establishes the literary context of The Yellow Wallpaper as a critique of 19th-century patriarchal authority and the pathologization of female behavior.
2. Analysis of the gender dynamics in The Yellow Wallpaper: This section deconstructs the power imbalances, the symbolic use of the nursery, and the protagonist's evolving psychological state in relation to her husband.
3. Conclusion: The conclusion synthesizes the findings, highlighting the story’s enduring legacy as a feminist work that challenges damaging societal and medical norms.
Keywords
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper, Feminism, Patriarchy, Gender Dynamics, Hysteria, Infantilization, Mental Health, Domestic Confinement, Literary Analysis, Symbolism, Male Authority, 19th Century, Women's Liberation, Narrative Discourse
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this paper?
The paper provides a feminist and gender-critical reading of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story to explore themes of patriarchal oppression and women's agency.
What are the central thematic fields?
The core themes include the critique of 19th-century medical practices, the societal construction of gender roles, and the symbolic representation of domestic entrapment.
What is the research goal?
The aim is to discuss the gender dynamics and hierarchies within the narrative to understand the protagonist's development toward liberation.
Which methodology is applied?
The author uses literary analysis, drawing upon feminist theory and historical scholarship regarding medical treatments of women in the 19th century.
What is covered in the main body?
The main body examines marital inequality, the symbolism of the wallpaper and nursery, the protagonist's resentment, and the significance of her internal transformation.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include feminism, patriarchy, mental health, gender dynamics, and domestic confinement.
How does the author interpret the name "Jane" at the end of the story?
The author suggests that "Jane" could be the narrator’s real name, representing the identity she abandons as she undergoes a "rebirth" into a new, liberated self.
What role does the diary play for the protagonist?
The diary serves as a crucial tool for the narrator to maintain her intellectual life, express forbidden thoughts, and ultimately foster her psychological independence from her husband's control.
Why is the "rest cure" mentioned in the analysis?
It is analyzed as a reflection of the problematic 19th-century medical view that equated female mental health issues with passivity and irrationality, which Gilman actively critiqued in her writing.
- Quote paper
- Sophia Daffner (Author), 2018, Women Uniting to Defeat Patriarchy. A Feminist and Gender Critical Reading of "The Yellow Wallpaper", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/453220
