Comparing The Yellow Wallpaper And Sweat

Genevieve Ramirez Dr. Bentz ENGL 254 27 March 2024 Interpersonal Violence in American Literature INTRODUCTION: “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “Sweat'' are both short stories that were written by female American novelists. The “Yellow Wallpaper” was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892. This is a short story that highlights the misunderstanding of postpartum depression. It is an “autobiographical tale of a woman driven mad by her physician-husband, trapped in a room as part of his medical treatment” (Delchamps 7). The instructions for prescribed rest therapy include the complete removal of activities physically, mentally, and socially. “Sweat'' was written by Zora Neale Hurston in 1926. It is a short story that displays the relationship dynamic

She portrayed battered characters to allow the reader to develop their own opinion on domestic violence. Based on the experiences of the protagonists “she does not depict them as feeble and forgettable”. Instead she delivers an objective lesson in how such toxicity hinders Black women’s evolution to adulthood” (Charles 2). She also recognized that this mistreatment was prevalent and change needed to be done to protect the autonomy of African Americans and women. The 19th century was a male-dominated society that resisted granting women equal status in household and workplace. The women's suffrage movement emerged advocating for women's rights and equality. Feminist movement activists “called for radical change – especially women – and sought to redefine not only women’s status and rights, but also social structures, institutions and society as a whole. These women became a source of many progressive ideas, which provided the intellectual foundation for social reform. They challenged the established consensus on how the basic socio-economic institutions of society – the state, enterprise, schools or households – were organized” (Vallet

Once she realizes her husband does not have her best interest at heart, she seeks to reclaim her identity. She experiences isolation and desperation during her three months of confinement. Reflection and time allowed her to come to the conclusion that the “font pattern does move”—and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it! Sometimes I think there are a great many women behind, and sometimes only one, and she crawls around fast, and her crawling shakes sit all over” (Gilman 839).The narrator confronts John by dealing with her internal rebellion. She embraces the madness of the strange wallpaper, which is a projection of how she feels and sees herself trapped in her relationship. On a similar note the protagonist, Delia Jones lacks autonomy as she is oppressed in her marriage as her husband, Sykes, belittles her. Syke fed his ego by putting down his wife, “She saw that Sykes had kicked all of the clothes together again, and now stood in her way truculently, his whole manner hoping, praying, for an argument” (Hurston 541). She refuses to be manipulated by him and displays her determination for independence by working as a