Essay On Women's Oppression In The Yellow Wallpaper

Early nineteenth century American Literature proves to be a very appealing subject. My research has focused on a piece of nineteenth century American literature, The Yellow Wallpaper. This story was written by a female author that was seen as an early pioneer for women’s rights. I will analyze the concept of women’s oppression in The Yellow Wallpaper. In the early nineteen hundreds women were seen as individuals most useful in the home, as wives, mothers, and homemakers. They were continually reduced to merely an extension of man and not their equal. This primitive concept of women as property was still a very present subject during this era. This story, in particular, explores the role of a women in male dominated society who rejected

In the case of perceived “insanity” then women should be neither be seen nor heard. Treichler states, “Language in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is oppressive to women in the particular form of medical diagnosis, a set of linguistic signs whose representational claims are authorized by society and whose power to control women’s fate, whether or not those claims are valid, is real.” (74) I will explore the theory that “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a symbolic examination of exactly how women were an oppressive society. Further, I will join the conversation concerning the question of sanity vs. insanity and the stereotypical role of women in the early nineteenth century as a way to further oppress strong intelligent

The bed was initially nailed down so the children who previously occupied the nursery could not move the bed around. She suggests the stationary bedstead denies her sensuality and sexuality. MacPike writes, “As the nursery imprisons her in a state of childhood, so the bedstead prevents her from moving ‘off center’ sensually – not merely sexually – in a sort of physical contact with another human being.” (1) I, on the other hand, would argue just the opposite, that the bed being nailed down symbolizes her dehumanization and demoralization. She is being treated like a prisoner in her own home. The societal norm is that prisoners are not deserving of human courtesies. In fact, I would suggest that the bed being nailed down represents the denial of her sexuality and sensuality. Paula Treichler contributes to the notion of the nailed down bedstead as a form of imprisonment saying, “In “The Yellow Wallpaper” we see consequences of the “death sentence.” Woman is represented as childlike and dysfunctional. Her complaints are wholly circular, merely confirming the already spoken patriarchal diagnosis.” (71) Susan Lanser also touches on the point that instead of the bedstead symbolizing the narrator’s sexuality it is oppressing her sexuality. She writes, “In the contemporary feminist reading, on the other hand, sexual oppression is evident from the start: the