The Roles Of Women In The Yellow Wallpaper

The Roles of Three Women

Social norms and expectations have transformed greatly in the past hundred years or so. This is evident in the writings of Gilman, Hurston, Faulkner, and Chopin. Each tale has a connection to the last, creating a range of similarities between different decades. Even if a story is written from a different culture or written during a different time period by a different social class, their stories are all linked in some way, shape, or form.

All of these short stories share the boundaries women were not allowed to cross. The narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is forced into isolation by her loving, but dominant husband. Women of this time cannot speak up against
John, the narrator’s husband and physician, shows ignorance for her illness. John tells the narrator, “you know this place is doing you good” (p.958) and “really dear, you are better“ (p.962) and yet the narrator does not seem to agree with her husband on the matter. From a man’s point of view, people were able to get over things such as depression by being bed-ridden; it was known as the “rest cure.” For the narrator however, this was a struggle. She had to fight to use her imagination in the small spaces of time she had alone, driving herself to the point of insanity. This was not unusual for women of this time; women were always cautioned against thinking on their own, even by their husbands. Sykes is very much like John in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” but Sykes is more of a tormentor than a husband. He could care less about his wife. She was only good for her hard work, which paid the bills. All Sykes knew was that Delia lived in his house; and he wanted her out. However deeply one spouse hated the other, they would never allow the settlement of a divorce. Couples saw marriage to this person as their lifeline. If they were to divorce, one or possibly even both of them would end up being ostracized or left for dead. Married couples were considered more trustworthy than singles. The father in “A Rose for Emily,” even though he is mentioned briefly, does not give the sense that he listened to his daughter’s wishes. The same can be said of John in “The Yellow Wallpaper.” He ignored and avoided any potential suitor that Emily desired. After her father’s death, Emily found someone she enjoyed the company of; she realizes that if this man leaves, she will be left with nothing but a decrepit old house. To save what she saw as her only chance as love, Emily kills Roger. He was the only thing she could cling to as a reminder of her father’s commanding presence. Emily does her best to cling to