Why is the story called, The Yellow Wallpaper Essay

Why is the story called, The Yellow Wallpaper - Essay ExampleThe commonality between the two stories is that both of them tell about a husbands suffocating grip on a womans life. In these stories, a husband has not been presented in a school negative light rather a husbands c be and kindness for a wife ironically prove to be harmful for a wife. The irony lies in the fact that in a patriarchal society, no matter how much a husband tries to be caring like the cashiers husband in Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper, and kind like Mrs. Mallards husband in Story of an Hour, they are the patriarchal annihilators of the womens freedom. In her story Gilman shows that a womans status in patriarchy is rather detrimental to her psychological growth, though ironically the narrators husband mistakes such restriction for his wifes betterment. The narrators husband assumes that women were devoid of any intellectual capability. Therefore, he suggests that the hotshot refrains himself from any type intel lectual and outdoor activities. In contradiction, the narrator strongly feels that participation in outdoor activities may improve her condition. The protagonist thinks that her betterment lies in something else than a restricted situation, I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulusbut antic says the very worst thing I can do is think about my condition, and I confess it always makes me feel bad. So I ordain let it al ane and talk about the house (Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper). Gilman refers to the fact that womens confinement within the four walls of their husbands house hampers their normal psychological growth. In the story, the narrator often refers to the suppressing presence of her husband in her life. At some point, referring to the seriousness of her condition she says, If a physician of elevated standing, and ones own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary n ervous depressiona slight hysterical tendencywhat is one to do? (Gilman). Here Gilman refers to the patriarchal constructs of the word, husband. For her, ones own husband or husband is empowered with the authority of a physician of high standing who can rule on the psychophysical condition of his wife. Gilman shows that the patriarchal term husband is as harmful for a wife as a physician, who is unwitting of his patients situation, is harmful to his patient. In her story, Chopin deals with the same story of a womans lack of freedom in a round-about way. In contradiction to others expectation Mrs. Mallard senses the gush of complacent freedom hearing the news of her husbands death. She feels sad. but concurrently she also feels the complacence at her attack freedom, as the narrator describes Mrs. Mallards joy in the following manner There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully. What was it? She did not know it was too tough and elusive to name (Chopin, Story of an Hour). At the news of Bentleys death, she feels the prospect of living a life of enormous freedom and joy. But since in patriarchy a woman is not accustomed to express herself freely, she fears even to acknowledge the source of mirth and ecstasy. Though she was striving to beat it back with her get out (Chopin, Story of an Hour), she fails to do so. Indeed it is her self-realization and her acknowledgement that the death of her husband and the prospect of living a free life are the sources of her ecstasies. But gradually before the unexpected