Essay Comparing The Yellow Wallpaper And Story Of An Hour

In the world of literature, stories become mirrors that reflect the complexity of social issues and invite readers to explore the realities faced by people in different contexts. Two significant short stories, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, shed light on the oppressive conditions faced by women in the nineteenth century. Both short stories take place in a confined domestic space, which serves as a metaphor for the limitations imposed on female character by the patriarchal society of the time. These stories not only offer a glimpse into the past, but also by delving into the inner world of their female characters, both Chopin and Gilman encourage readers to address the problem of

It is reflected when she exclaims, "Free, free, free, free!" Chopin, 1894, p. 2). Similarly, in "The Yellow Wallpaper", the narrator's husband controlled her mentally and physically, which prevents her from having freedom. This can be seen when she mentions what she sees on that yellow wallpaper and her displeasure, she wishes John, her husband, to get her out of there (Gilman, 1899, p. 3). These representations highlight the limitations imposed on women during the time in which the stories are set. The theme of the repression of women's emotions and desires is also highlighted in both stories. In "The Yellow Wallpaper", the protagonist is forced to repress her creative desires and needs due to her husband's control, when she realises that he comes, she must put away what she writes, as he hates it when she writes a word (Gilman, 1899, p. 1). In "The Story of an Hour", Mrs. Mallard has an internal struggle against her emotions and desires as she was striving to beat what she felt (Chopin, 1894, p.