The False Gems by Henri René Albert Guy de Maupassant and The Yellow Wallpaper by Perkins Gilman are both short stories from the 1800s. In that era women commonly played a crucial part in running the household. Although they bear superficial differences, The False Gems and The Yellow Wallpaper have some remarkable similarities about oppression of women by their husbands and the social expectations placed on them by society. Both Maupassant and Gilman showed opposing perspectives about the responsibilities of women in the home. However, they both shared common themes about marriage and how men feel they know what is best for their wifes. Both women also are secluded in their home which lead to different outcomes for the two wives in each story. …show more content…
One of the main expectations of women is to take care of their families. In The False Gems, Monsieur Lantin’s wife manages his finances to ensure that he can live a luxurious life. He does not seem to understand how they can afford such a nice lifestyle on his salary. Being responsible for such important tasks, such as finances, but being perceived as not knowing what is best for oneself demonstrates a common view about women in this era. On the contrary, in The Yellow Wallpaper the wife has just given birth. Instead of spending time with her child, her husband has Mary take care of the baby. At the time, the wife is seen as unfit to parent her child. This leads her to be confined to a room to rest and ensures that she does not get to see her baby. This goes against societal norms of women as the caretaker in the family. This was chosen for her by her husband, John and it demonstrates that she is not seen as capable to take care of her