Analysis of the Yellow Wallpaper and Story of an Hour

The stories of the Yellow Wallpaper and Story of an Hour are both stories that have deep meaning, and many hidden symbols. In both stories there is a woman who in some way is oppressed by some outside force and must find a way to overcome this oppression. While in both stories the main charcter goes through a different ordeal, The main theme behind these events are the same and the two experiences can compare to eachother. the events match in both women we oppressed by men and portrayed as the weaker sex, both the woman find a way to cope with the situation, and both stories have a tragic and ironic ending. The first aspect both stories have in common is the fact that both of the women are oppressed by a man in their life.“The Yellow Wallpaper” provide valuable insight into the ways in which Gilman's story chronicles how women have been socially, historically, and medically constructed as not only weak, but sick beings."(Suess pg.86) In The Yellow Wallpaper the main charvter Jane is going through post pardum depression, but in the time period in which the story takes place this illness was not know. There for the husband feels that she is not fit to take care of herself and locks her in the attic to portector her. In the case of The Story an Hour, the reader never Intinaly does not know that the husband of the story is oppressive. Yet it becomes apparent to the reader after the husband is thoguht dead and Mrs. Mallard has a chance to think about it. "When she abandoned herself a little whispered word escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breath: "free, free, free!" The vacant stare and the look of terror that had followed it went from her eyes. They stayed keen and bright."(Chopin) She is happy to hear about her husbands death, which leaves the reader with the feeling that in some way she was held back by the husband. In this story as well the woman is portrayed as a weak charcter as soon as the story begins there is a