Essay On Women In The Yellow Wallpaper

Women in the 19th century didn’t have the amount of privileges as women today. During the 19th century, women couldn’t own property, have a career, or create their own choices, for the men of the household overruled any women. Women were characterized as weak, domestic creatures that lived dependent on their male counterparts for all necessities. Women lived most of their adult lives as trapped prisoners going through their day cooking and cleaning without a choice. The character in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a perfect analogy of how women lived in the 19th century. Trapped behind closed doors with no right of say on how to live her life, the author showed how women in those times were treated, especially if they had a mental illness.

The author of this story had similar experiences as the main character. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, an American writer best known for her feminist thoughts, suffered from mental breakdowns and reached out to a
He probably assumed that women aren’t strong enough, physically or mentally to do the stuff men do. So, he insisted her on taking a rest and live a domestic lifestyle. I couldn’t imagine a doctor speaking that way to a male patient and Gilman later noticed the doctor’s sexist remarks after she turned from her domestic ways. Writing the Yellow Wallpaper helped Gilman give a visual representation of what women of her time were dealing with. The human mind isn’t made to be isolated from the outside world. Humans enjoy experiencing new things and doing what they want. Being trapped inside all day cleaning and cooking without any fun activities will take a toll on an individual. Repetition becomes boring and the human craves for a new experience. Failing to do so may result in mental illnesses such as mental breakdowns and post-partum depression, similar to what Gilman had