The short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” that we read was written around 1890. At this time in history, men were the most dominant gender. Men were the head of household and provided for their family. Women did not even have the right to vote yet. Charlotte Perkins Gilman had a great impact on the women’s right to vote. Gilman also had a great impact on feminism.
Some cultural aspects during this time were that women had a lot of hardships and needed to be more independent. I believe this is why Gilman has such an impact on women’s rights and their lives. I believe that she wrote this story and several other stories to show her readers how women were treated differently and pushed to insanity. Gilman grew up in a family that did not go along with all of the traditional views. She wanted to create a more independent life for women in her society. In her lifetime, she became a radical feminist. According to Lane, “Gilman believed that women’s subordination started with the expropriation by men of the agricultural surplus women produced, limiting women’s full expression and autonomy and therefore dehumanizing them” (Lane 8). What this means is that men made the women rely on everything that they did for them. The women were not allowed to do things on their own. If I was living during this society, I would also be upset that I did not have the proper freedoms that I should have. Yes, most women want to take care of their house and children but, would also like a job and freedom from these duties. Gilman wrote that, “Of women especially have been required the convenient virtues of a subject class: obedience, patience, endurance, contentment, humility, resignation, temperance, prudence, industry, kindness, cheerfulness, modesty, gratitude, thrift, and unselfishness. Women must demand equality and freedom” (Hill 5). This statement was a great example Gilman stated to aim for equality for women and become a feminist.
Not being able to vote, have property rights, or have reproductive rights are just a few examples of what women could not do or have. The Nineteenth Amendment finally gave women the right to vote in 1919. Once a man and a woman married, the woman did not have any property rights. All of these rights went to the men. An act by the name of, Married Women’s Property Acts was passed in the nineteenth century. This act gave women the right to keep their property separate from their husbands. Another right discusses the reproductive rights of women. These reproductive rights consist of the right to receive birth control, abortions, and education about female health. This act was passed in the 1960’s. As a woman, having these acts and rights pass are an extraordinary break through. This is where I believe Gilman worked hard as well and also wanted these rights to be passed.
The way that “The Yellow Wallpaper” was written portrays insanity in the heroine. The story is based on Gilman’s life but has a lot of added exaggerations. Gilman then also had to prove to her society that she really was not this insane. The doctor that was stated in her story, Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, was a neurologist who was very adamant to diagnose his women patients with rest cures. Hill states in his book that, “Mitchell’s rest cure, then was designed to help such women. In an atmosphere of rest and quiet, they could learn to be more passive and warm, and thus more “feminine” and healthy” (Hill 149). A rest cure could be used for a few days. After that, anyone would become insane, having to sit in a bed with nothing to do. This explanation can show how men and doctors in this society could possibly push women into insanity. If they really want to help, they should be more open to female equality.
These historical and cultural events surrounding Charlotte Perkins Gilman gave way to becoming a feminist. After exploring some more information, I also believe that in that time frame, women could have been pushed to insanity because they did not have the same equal rights as men.
Works Cited
Hill, Mary A. Charlotte Perkins Gilman The Making of a Radical Feminist, 1860-1896. Philadelphia: Temple University, 1980. Print.
Lane, Ann J. The Charlotte Perkins Gilman Reader. New York: Pantheon Books, 1980. Print.
This is an interesting way to look at this story but I have a hard time putting the two together. This story seems more about a woman that has her own problems and becomes insane because she can't realize what is going on around her rather than society putting pressure on her. With that said, I would like to see more connections to the feminist view of this story just to get another idea on interpreting the events that occurred.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your last sentence that women could have been pushed to insanity because they did not have equal rights. I think that would be such an annoying struggle to overcome in history and it probably did drive most women insane. I almost think that in this story Perkin's wanted to make fun of the ultimate "woman" by making the men's reasoning seem ridiculous and inconclusive. This story is almost a parody to the anit-feminist beliefs. I believe she wanted to expose how women felt who were under this male dominating society by driving the main character to insanity.
ReplyDeleteI think you bring up a really good point. Men of that time did have way more rights than women. That had to be frustrating for women not having the power or right to carry out activities of their choice. In the story she did not stand up for herself she had to listen to what all the men were telling her to do when she knew what was right for her. In the end she went insane because she did not express herself because no one would listen to her.
ReplyDeleteMen definitely had more rights than women during this time period which had to be terrible living conditions for the women. I think the woman in "The Yellow Wallpaper" had more problems than just being shut out of society but I also believe it could have contributed to her eventually going insane.
ReplyDeleteI never looked at this story as an advance to women's rights. The control this character's husband exerts on her can definitely exemplify the passiveness of women at the time. The feminism portrayed in this story was most likely a secret message, one that as a class we overlooked or misunderstood.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting outlook on “The Yellow Wallpaper”. I can see how this could parallel the controlling aspect of men in this time period and I can also see how this could drive a woman insane like you said! I too would go insane if I were not allowed to leave the premises of my own home. To Max above, it is not technically social pressures that need to drive a woman mad, but rather the lack there of. Nothing was expected of women outside the home, and this story parallels that idea by entrapping the woman within her own home. She was driven crazy by the lack of pressure in the society and the dependency that was placed upon her husband.
ReplyDeletetying in the 19th amendment to this was a very interesting spin to it. I liked how you looked at the story from the point of view of women's rights because that is exactly how I saw it.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post! I thought it was very interesting! I liked that your focus, at least one of them, was how men had so many more rights than women in that time period. Women did not have many rights at all, which would have definitely driven me crazy! Again, I really enjoyed your post! Great job!
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