Gender Roles in "The Yellow Wallpaper"

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper," is a gripping tale about how women were held back by strict gender roles in the late 19th century. By showing the main character's slide into madness, Gilman shows how harmful society's expectations can be to a woman's mind and body. This essay is gonna dig into those gender roles in "The Yellow Wallpaper," pointing out just how oppressive they were and how badly they messed with women's freedom and mental health.

Gender Roles and Oppression

The woman at the center of "The Yellow Wallpaper" is stuck in a room with some pretty ugly yellow wallpaper 'cause her husband thinks she’s got some nervous condition. Her being shut up there kind of stands for the way women were trapped in their homes back then. The narrator’s hubby, John, is like this typical bossy guy who decides everything for his wife—how she's treated, who she sees, all that jazz. He’s the guy in charge, just like society expected men to be, while women had to do what they were told.

The yellow wallpaper itself? Oh boy, it's more than just decoration; it's like a symbol of how stuck she feels 'cause of these gender roles. She says it's “dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate,” which kinda mirrors how society wanted women to fit into certain boxes even if it meant hurting them inside. I mean, it’s not like they asked if it was okay.

What's worse is that she feels totally powerless over her own life—her thoughts and feelings don’t seem to matter much. Society expects her to keep her emotions bottled up and just fit in. All this pressure? Yeah, that's what drives her over the edge eventually. Gilman really nails it here by showing how gender roles can mess with a woman’s head.

The Impact on Autonomy and Mental Health

Those old-school gender roles in "The Yellow Wallpaper" seriously clip the protagonist's wings. She can't do anything meaningful or follow any passions of hers. She's treated like this delicate thing that needs watching all the time. It’s no wonder she starts losing herself—it’s suffocating her creativity and thinking process.

The wallpaper becomes this weird obsession that plays tricks on her mind as she's more isolated. It's almost like denying women any control over their lives leads straight down a dark path filled with confusion and fear.

Also, she's constantly trying to express herself but gets shot down every time by her husband who thinks he knows best ‘cause he's a doctor or whatever. This lack of validation makes her feel even more alone, pushing her further toward madness.

Conclusion

"The Yellow Wallpaper" throws some major shade on those oppressive gender roles from way back when. Through what happens to our leading lady, Charlotte Perkins Gilman highlights how these roles steal away women's freedom and sanity bit by bit. That feeling of being trapped along with everything that yellow wallpaper stands for shows us just how toxic society's expectations were for women's well-being.

This story gives us something important to chew on—it reminds us we gotta challenge traditional gender norms if we want true equality so everyone can live happy lives without limits!

References

• Gilman, C.P. (1892). The Yellow Wallpaper.
• Bauer, D.M., & Ruskiewicz M.J., "American Realism: New Essays". University Press.
• Treichler P.A., "Escaping the Sentence: Diagnosis and Discourse in 'The Yellow Wallpaper'". Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature.
• Kennard J.E., "Convention Coverage or How Jane Lost Her Identity."
• Shumaker C., “Too Terribly Good To Be Printed”: Charlotte Gilman’s “The Yellow Wall-paper”. American Literature.