Stereotypes In American Society

In American society it is a social norm for women to be delicate and vulnerable, they are seen as too weak to do the same things men do. This was especially true during the time period in which the stories “The Yellow Wallpaper,” “Jury of her peers,” and “Story of an Hour” were written in. The characteristics of gender roles, shown through in each individual story and hint at the stereotypes that were places on women of that time period. These specific female characters don’t let those stereotypes define them, they break free and show their true strengths. Though their societies would suggest them fragile, the main characters -- Louise Mallard, Minnie Foster Wright, and the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” -- respectively presented in the
works of Kate Chopin, Susan Glaspell, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman are actually notably stronger than all those who surround them.
Louise Mallard is the main character of “The Story of an Hour” by: Kate Chopin. She is oppressed by her husband until she hears the sudden news of his death. “There would be no one to live for her during those coming years; she would live for herself. There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. “ Louise is seen as submissive to her husband, he controls her life and all things surrounding her, Because he is a man he makes all the decisions concerning himself and his wife. Leaving Louise powerless over herself. The husbands role is to make the decisions because the female characters are seen as too weak to make educated decisions. Once her husband is dead she must then take over the decision making role. This shows that Louise is just as powerful as her husband. “But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely. And she opened and spread her arms out to them in welcome.” Mrs. Mallard is now able to show just how strong she is by being the independent women she wants to be, she can now live for herself, under the rule of no one. This shows Louise’ level of independence and power over herself, that was blanketed by her husbands rule and the stereotypes of man for so long. Minnie Foster was another character that challenged the american stereotypes placed on her.
Minnie was in the story “A Jury of her Peers.” She was accused of hanging and ultimately murdering her husband. She never physically appeared in the story, but the clues uncovered by her fellow female characters showed the truth of what happened to her husband and also the motive. “No, Wright wouldn't like the bird," she said after that--"a thing that sang. She used to sing. He killed that too." Minnie was completely oppressed by her husband, she was cut off from her friends and her passion of singing. The dead bird found by Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Hale, represents what Minnie husband, John, did to her. The immense oppression killed her spirit to the point where she stopped doing something she loved. Minnie showed strength in this story by sticking up to her husband and ending the years of oppression. Mrs. Peter and Mrs. Hale also showed tremendous strength throughout the story. Sheriff Peters continually insults and demeans them from being women. "But would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?" The two women end up proving him wrong and solving the whole murder. This shows that they are in fact smart enough to do the same, in this case an even better, job than the male characters. These women also show they have the strength to keep a secret from their husband, this secret being something that could ultimately put them in jail if it come out they did not tell. The bravery
displayed by these women is not something people of this time period saw as a womanly characteristic. Overall the female characters overpowered and outsmarted the male characters in “A Jury of her Peers” showing that american women stereotypes do not apply to them. The last story is “The Yellow Wallpaper,” in this one the narrator is the main character.
She is a woman who suffers from a mental illness and is cared for by her doctor who also happens to be her husband. “John is a physician, and (I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind) that is one reason I do not get well faster. You see he does not believe I am sick!. And what can one do? If a physician of high standing, and one's own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression - a slight hysteric.” The women is being treated by a man who doesn’t even believe that she has an illness, what she feels in being pushed aside and she is being told how to feel by her husband as if he knows what best for her. This shows that her husband does not think she is strong enough to make decision regarding her mental health. The treatment he suggests for her is to not write in her journal, she goes against his wishes. This shows strength because going against what a man said was unheard of during this time period. The narrator made the decision to look out for herself and her mental health rather than her relationship with her husband. ‘"I've got out at last," said I, "in spite of you and Jane? And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back!" Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to
creep over him every time!’ This quote is a big breakthrough for the character. Her husband faints because he can’t handle what she has become, she is stronger though, and she can handle it. The creeping over him symbolises her breaking free of his oppression over her body and mind. She is breaking free of the stereotypes placed on her by her husband and by man in general. American women during the time period these stories were written were oppressed by the stereotypes of man. Louise Mallard, Minnie Foster and the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” all break free of these stereotypes and prove they are not the fragile, dainty, women they are expected to be. These woman are actually quite strong and heroic characters, they makes the stories dynamic and definitely reflect the feminist perspective of the authors.