The Use Of Force, Hills Like White Elephants, And The Yellow Wallpaper

Throughout the short stories, many gender issues are heavily active in the text. They all seem to share the same characteristics in each plot of the stories “The Use of Force”, “Hills like White Elephants”, and “The Yellow Wallpaper”. Each story outlines the male character as the “dominant leader” overpowering over a woman. In our society, the male is seen as the protector over his family and life. He is responsible for taking care of things and fighting which might include becoming a dominant character. A woman is seen as being fragile and is usually responsible for caring for the children, cleaning, or cooking food for her family.
The story of The Yellow Wallpaper reflects the period where men dominated women. The real meaning of this story is written hidden behind it. The author had used a writing style that is taking objects portraying men, women, and society. Stetson describes the husband as the caretaker of the wife. John is a physician, and perhaps (I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper
and a great relief to my mind -) perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster” (Stetson).The bars represent freedom, her freedom. It is the boundary that woman in the story wants to break open of. According to Stetson "But I Know she was studying that pattern, and I am determined that nobody shall find it out but myself!" Because she is a patient and now here she is describing all that of the wallpaper and convinces that everybody in the house finds the wallpaper really have something going on. There is a progression of madness throughout the story. Her husband is the cause of this madness. Instead of relieving his wife of her sickness, he always makes her think about it. He puts her into isolation that makes her hallucinate and become insane. Hills like White Elephants also include this reoccurring theme of male dominance. During the very beginning of their conversation the American man does not even let the “Jig” speak. He always makes the orders and commands the waiter to do as he pleases. The boyfriend does not even give Jig a chance to choose before answering on their behalf suggesting a regular pattern of the man deciding for her, as she did not oppose to this. Rather, she displayed herself as indecisive and submissive by stating, “I don’t know” and allowing him to decide for her. The woman today still looks up to the male to decide what is best. For example, for a family of two parents and two children, the mother and children will look up to the husbands for most commonly his love money and support. The male is usually the breadwinner in a typical family while the mother cooks, cleans, and cares for the children. In “The Use of Force” the doctor is perceived as the dominant figure and is intended to help the small child.
This story has to deal with both male dominance and the use of sexual undertones by the doctor while treating the patient. When the doctor first starts to describe the little girl he states “She did not move and seemed, inwardly, quiet; an unusually attractive little thing, and as strong as a heifer in appearance. But her face was flushed, she was breathing rapidly, and I realized that she had a high fever. She had magnificent blonde hair, in profusion” (William). While reading this the reader might assume that something is suspicious of this doctor. Throughout the story, the doctor is perceived and described as more and more of an inappropriate pediatrician towards the little girl although he is just trying to get her to open her mouth so he can check her throat. The parents trust this man since he is a certified
doctor.
In short, all these stories had similar themes for male dominance in society. In “Hills like White Elephants”, the man tries to control the decision of having an abortion. In “The Use of Force”, the doctor uses forceful actions to get his way with his younger patient. In “The Yellow Wall-paper”, the husband traps and forces isolation onto his wife slowly making her become delusional.