Charlotte Perkins Gilman Influence

Charlotte Perkins Gilman was renowned writer, economist, and feminist. She fought for women’s rights in the early 1900’s. Because of her writing talents, her views and beliefs could easily be spread. Gilman is most known for her short story titled “The Yellow Wallpaper” and a non-fiction named Women and Economics. Not only did she write books, she also wrote and created a magazine, The Forerunner. Although she had a strenuous and difficult life, Gilman influenced many. On July 3, 1860 in Hartford Connecticut, Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born to Frederic Beecher Perkins and Mary Perkins. She had one older brother Thomas Adie (Connecticut). During her infancy, Gilman’s father abandoned her and her family leaving them impoverished. Because Mary Perkins was a woman, she could not find suitable work to provide for her family. Gilman lived with her father’s sisters one of which was the distinguished Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin (Biography). Along with
Not only did she write books, she also ran and wrote for a magazine, The Forerunner. Published from 1909 through 1916, she was able to write essays, opinion pieces, short stories, and poetry (Biography). Through Gilman’s writing, she conveyed her true feeling about women and their role. In her opinion, women should be released from the economic imprisonment of being an unpaid housewife. In 1934 George Gilman passed away leaving Charlotte with a diagnosis of inoperable cancer. Consequently, at the age of 75, Gilman took her life with an overdose of chlorophyll. In her last letter, she wrote “I prefer chloroform to cancer” (Beekman). Through her popular fiction, intellectual writing, and speaking, Gilman influenced woman off all ages. She attempted to evoke her revolutionary ideas of feminism to others. Although her ideas did not take root during her time, many young and old women are looking up to her beliefs