Alienation in “A Rose for Emily” and “The Yellow Wallpaper” “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman are two short stories that contains both similarities and differences. Both short stories shows that Emily Grierson and the narrator are not able to live their lives as an individual in their society because they were women. With regard to both Emily and the narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper," their freedom is taken away from them as they are controlled by men, they are both secluded in their own homes away from the town, and they react in irrational ways that result in their own downfall into insanity. Emily Grierson and the narrator from "The Yellow Wall-Paper" are both restricted by the men ruling their lives …show more content…
Therefore, Emily is deprived of relationships with men, which is an important part of growing up, and it is because of her father and his traditions. The story also gives Emily's great-aunt Wyatt "had gone completely crazy" which shows that Emily may not have been the only one who was held back by the Grierson's strict traditions. Similar to Emily, the female narrator in "The Yellow-Wallpaper" is oppressed and isolated as well. On the contrary, the narrator is different from Emily, since she is controlled by John, her husband. John treats his wife as if she is a five year old child, and he feels obligated to take care of her constantly as she has “temporarily nervous depression”. Because he is a physician, John prescribes various different medications for his wife. She is not even conscious of the medications she is taking as she states, "So I take phosphates, or phosphites--whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to 'work' until I am well again". This quote shows how the narrator is forced to listen to John and his