The Yellow Wallpaper and Feminism

Running head: THE YELLOW WALLPAPER AND FEMINISM
The Yellow Wallpaper and Feminism
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1THE YELLOW WALLPAPER AND FEMINISM
As opined by Brooks, feminism and the empowerment of women had formed the central
lacuna of a great many number of literary works over the years and the prominence held by this
theme can be attributed to the fact that the women over the years had to face a significant amount
of suppression or oppression in the society. Betjemann et al. are of the viewpoint that a major
feature of these works is the fact that the central protagonist of these works are women caged
within a male dominated society which had no regard for the feelings or the emotions of these
women. In this regard, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892) is an
important one because of the manner in which it depicts the oppression or suppression faced by
the women of the 19th century at the hands of the male-dominated society (Amro). The concerns
and the feelings of the narrator are being dismissed by John because of the fact that in the 19th
century society the men considered themselves to be always right and they had the right to
control the lives of the women of their family. This essay will explore the theme of feminism in
the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” in the particular context of the suppression or oppression
faced by the narrator.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” (1892) is an exploration of the
oppression or the suppression that the women had to face within the societal framework over the
years and also the toll that it takes on their lives and psychology (Gale). More importantly, the
sufferings faced by the narrator within the societal framework indicates the women were
considered to be chattels of the men who could be used in any way possible name of marriage
(Amro). Thus, the ultimate descent of the narrator into madness and her final death can be seen
as an attempt on her part to forego this oppression and thereby liberate herself from the
institution of marriage and others which had been devised by the male dominated society to
suppress the women. Another important fact which becomes apparent from the short story under