Comparison Of 'The Yellow Wallpaper And Totem'

Richard M. Nixon once said, “when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.” Laws are enforced to prevent or deter people from behaving in a manner that negatively affects others’ quality of life. And, ignorance to these rules results in tragedy and disaster, impacting the lives of others. Those who hold a high societal standing may be excused for the negativity their actions may cause. Richard M. Nixon’s words demonstrate the jurisdiction authority figures have, despite the drastic results that surface from their thoughtless actions. In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and Thomas King’s “Totem”, one can see how humans’ authoritative decisions lead to the downfall of another. This corruption is seen through
This leads to the inequality of the protagonists as John and Walter disregard their needs. As an innocent being, the narrator relies on her cunning, careless husband in times of desperation. Feeling something strange about the house leaves the narrator tingling with uneasiness and “[she] even [told] John one moonlight evening but he said what [she] felt was a draught, and shut the window” (Gilman 1). His overbearing persona to finalize decisions without consideration for his wife’s feelings truly depicts his ignorant character. This leaves the reader questioning whether power leads to negative behaviour, ending with the inequality between individuals. In a like manner, Thomas King’s “Totem” focuses on the detriment of a lack of authority when individuals face discriminative matters. After the totem pole’s first appearance in the museum, Walter explains that the problem “is that [the] totem pole is not part of the show and [it needs] to [be moved] someplace else” (King 2). Both these stories concentrate on how superiority conquers the morals of society leading to unequal situations. People are subject to authority even if it leads to their demise, simply, because it is a norm of society for the inferior to follow the superior. The dismissal of the narrator’s concern and the decision to move the totem pole illustrates how figures of authority tend to use their commanding voice to better their own circumstances. They negatively use their authority without paying any attention to the harm they are causing to the other party. In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, John simply denies his wife’s feelings to avoid dealing with her agitation, as she is mentally ill. On that note, Walter has the capability to remove the totem pole because he has control over the museum’s artifacts. Because he sees the totem pole as a disturbance, he removes it to better his situation,