Analysis Of Kate Chopin's 'Yellow Wallpaper'

Freedom for Two Begins Freedom for Many
Isolation drives mirthless people to find the desires of freedom they long for. Many feminist writers in the Progressive era yearned for freedom; this desire was seen in their works to create powerful lessons on how male domination impacted women. One influential writer of this movement, Kate Chopin, wrote a story where the character, Louise, is told that her husband departed in an accident and she is not sure whether or not to be heartsick or rescued. Louise finally decides she is relieved because she is liberated from the domination of her husband. Another powerful writer, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, wrote “Yellow Wallpaper,” where the main character Jane, experiences depression and finds herself locked
In this Progressive era, depression was seen as absurd to many doctors, including short-sighted John, who thought he was doing the correct treatment. During this cure, John locks Jane away and basically takes any sign of independence he can. John begins treating her like a child in this imprisonment of a room, encouraging Jane revert to her childhood memories. The narrator states,“I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have! I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy-store” (Gilman 650). Ironically, John blames her mind and creativity as the reason for her mental illness. John tells Jane, “There is nothing so dangerous, so fascinating, to a temperament like yours. It is a false and foolish fancy” (Gilman 652). Although John believes Jane can “fix” herself, Jane is actually suffering from much further than using her brain more than normal. Her husband asks his sister, Jennie, to assist around the vacation house with his child and Jane. Jennie, throughout the story, does common house chores that were traditional for a woman in this time to maintain. Gilman mentions, “She is a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession. I verily
Due to Louise’s heart condition, her sister was to make sure she broke the news as painless as possible because women were known to be “fragile”. After hearing this information, Louise does not know how she will make it without Mr. Mallard; however, later on Louise believes she feeling a rebirth in her life after realizing she was free from her husband. Chopin describes Louise’s feelings by saying, “What did it matter! What could love, the unsolved mystery, count for in the face of this possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being! "Free! Body and soul free!" she kept whispering” (2). The main character, being a woman in the Progressive era, was not crazy to want her freedom from the suppression of men. She realized she could enjoy her days as she wanted without being told what she should do or how she should feel. The author says, “Her fancy was running riot along those days ahead of her. Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own” (Chopin 3). Ironically, while Louise is planning her future and what she will do to busy herself, her sister is worried sick that she will make herself sick with depression and worry. Chopin states this by saying, ‘Louise, open the door! I beg; open the door—you will make yourself ill. What are you doing, Louise? For