Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Room of One’s Own’ portrays class and gender in American society. The authors convey similar themes of social limitations influencing the roles of females in dominant male society. The purpose of the writings is to transmit the negative aspects of the society. The survival of females in the constrained society was difficult due to the imposed restrictions. The authors present flexible visions of the reality by displaying adversities of social constraints. The sex and gender system defining the roles for males and females is also known as the patriarchal system. The traditional and conventional aspects of the American culture denied females of equal rights, becoming most visible in the concept of freedom. The authors state that equal opportunities will improve the role of females, allowing them to perform constructive roles and attain happiness.
Gilman in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ discusses discourse related to gender and sexuality during the early waves of feminism in America. The author deconstructs the notion of feminism in American culture. Gilman shares a complex understanding of gender and sexuality that embarks social position of woman in America that is also seen as a contemporary criticism of the American society. She uncovers the conservatism prevailing in American culture, resulting in devaluation of female talents. Limited role of females in the western world resulted in repercussions for the women. The challenging social structure deteriorated the lives of many females who failed to adjust in the constrained society. Gilman in the fiction mentions, “that American men `have bred a race of women weak enough to be handed about like invalids; or mentally weak enough to pretend they are-and to like it” (Gilman, 19). The purpose of the social construct is to make women weaker than males. She also criticizes that the economic system focused on benefiting the males of the society. The author also undermines the reality of the collected voice of women as it lacked any meaning in real life. The patriarchal system acts in favor of males by eliminating equal opportunities for females.
Gender subjugation remains a prominent theme in Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Room of One’s Own.’ Her fiction uncovers the role of gender identities and its influence on lives of females. The author tries to convey the darker realities of the conservative world that treats a woman differently from males. The story is a criticism of the patriarchal system favoring the males only. The author transmits the notion of limited roles played by females due to gender inequalities. The society acts against the females as it imposes sanctions, eliminating possibilities of growth and independence. She uses literature to confer the idea of limited opportunities available for female writers. In ‘A Room of One’s Own’ she mentions, “it is unthinkable that any woman in Shakespeare’s day should have Shakespeare’s genius” (Woolf 62). The text reveals that females lack equal economic opportunities. She compared the feminine writers with Shakespeare and identified discrimination. The criticism is invisible in her fiction as she mentions that feminine writers do not get fame and support from the world due to the social constraints. Her comments in the fiction is a protest against the gender inequalities as she emphasizes on the repercussions suffered by females (Koç).
The social vision of Gilman and Woolf emphasized on revolutionizing society by promoting the concept of gender equality. The authors are females, depicting the role of personal experiences in their writing. The Yellow Wallpaper highlights the discontent and real-life experiences of women leading to nervous prostration. The main character in the fiction suffers from mental complications due to the social taboos that confined her to home. The personal life experiences of Woolf influenced her writing as she encountered the Suffragette movement. She observed that the female authors were not receiving appreciation as males. Her desires of having a female literary tradition encouraged her to start writing. Gilman also used her writings to criticize the role of gender inequalities and discrimination.
The absence of female literary tradition limited the writing opportunities for the females depicting the impact of conservatism. Having no distinct literary tradition influenced the role of females as writers. She explains that woman has no room of her own and she talks only the male literary tradition. Woolf illustrates the feminine complexities; “she will never get her genius expressed whole and entire” because “she is at war with her lot” (Woolf 77). The author of the book conveys the belief that woman will never achieve similar appreciation as male authors. Female authors are more likely to face criticism because society is not prepared to accept their independence and liberty. She further reveals gender differences by transmitting the idea that fewer female authors emerged in the literary world due to the social constraints. Social sanctions restricted them from entering the literary world, and the few who displayed courage faced criticism and rebellion.
Gilman assesses the role of dominant male society on feminine restrictions. The author states that the survival was impossible for the feminine character in the fiction due to the absence of independence. Gilman states, “with all her weakness, her unstable emotionality, her tendency to morally warp when long nervously ill, she is then far easier to deal with, far more amenable to reason, far more sure to be comfortable as a patient, than the man who is relatively in a like position” (Gilman 24). The psychiatrist in the fiction is unable to determine the actual cause of her sickness. The
Woolf confers that the experiences of men are entirely different from females. The world treats woman indifferently that leads to her deterioration and self-destruction. She criticizes that women would have made some achievements in the world of literature if they received same appreciation and support from the society. She accepts that the males dominate in literature because society does not criticize them or treat them unjustly. Her criticism is apparent on, “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction” (Woolf 29). Gendered society and social constructs undermine the feminine role in the conservative world. She lacks economic independence that makes her dependent on males. She implies that woman lacks the personal life of her own that restricts her functionality. The author identifies the role of social constraints on feminine life. According to Woolf, they are unable to make better use of their lives due to the conservative society. She further relates the limitations with the artistic skills of woman as she is unable to make better use of them due to the restrictions she faces. Unavailability of privacy is apparent in author’s idea of ‘room of her own’ depicting females are more vulnerable to distractions (Heilmann).
Gilman also conveys the role of gender and sexuality affecting the lives of females. The author portrays gender discrimination as the social constraints lead to her physical and mental illness. She mentions, “turn the sick role to their advantage, especially as a form of birth control. A doctor could help women by supporting her claims to be too sick for sex: he could recommend abstinence” (Gilman 39). Gilman in the fiction also represents the negative role of male figures resulting in her subjugation. The diagnosis of the doctor is flawed as he fails to determine the exact reason for her illness. Gendered society becomes prominent when the doctor suggests rest to the female character. The unwillingness of the males in the novel to accept feminine desires also transmits the deeper meaning of gender inequalities. The absence of freedom also results in dissatisfaction with the woman. The errors in the diagnosis of the doctor also reveal the inflexible attitude of the males. The patriarchal society has a profound role on personalities of male members apparent in their non-compromising behaviors. John’s failure to understand the reason for his wife’s destruction reflects the male dominance. He is unable to see a role outside home or character of housewife for his partner (Lanser).
Woolf illustrates the adversities of social sanctions and gender stereotypes. She uses ‘A Room of One’s Own’ to highlights how gendered society eliminates the possibilities of growth for women. Without privacy, they are unable to exploit their skills or recognize their talents. The restrictions influence the life choices apparent in her inability to visit the library. She criticizes the skills and creativity of males is the result of the opportunities and society’s support. She states that men can prove their confidence only when they compare themselves with the women and society provides equal opportunities to them. Men consider women as inferior, but they fail to consider the reality as equal opportunities will prove females more competent. Woolf mentions, “intellectual freedom depends upon material things. Poetry depends upon intellectual freedom. And women have always been poor, not for two hundred years merely, but from the beginning of time” (Woolf 104). The author identifies how restrictions influence intellectual freedom of the females as they are left with fewer opportunities to survive. Gender inequality is also the reason of their financial dependence on males. Money and material power allow males to enjoy the superior statuses. They fear that equal economic opportunities will prove women as competent as males and also increases their monetary power. The criticism highlights how patriarchal structure acts in favor of males, resulting in female oppression.
Narrator’s illustration of the room in ‘The Yellow Paper’ exhibits how it plays the role of torture chamber for the wife. The character of the husband depicts that he performs the patriarchal male figure that wants to maintain the same husband-wife relationship as constructed by society. The role of husband as a dominant partner eliminates the freedom of his wife confining her to the sick room. John wants his wife to follow the treatment prescriptions transmitting the theme of female oppression. The author creates the feminine story explaining how the woman becomes insane due to her limited role in life. The wife lacks the life of her own that results in her self-destruction and devastation.
Her limited role in the life confines her to the home that later becomes evident in her mental illness. The description of the room reflects sanity, “this wall-paper has a kind of sub-pattern in a different shade, a particularly irritating one, for you can only see it in certain lights, and not then” (Gilman 18). The author uses the theme of gender discrimination, apparent in the desires of the woman to escape the reality of the room. The room represents the socially sanctioned society that decides the role of housewife or mother for the females. Gilman criticizes that patriarchal system where females have no life outside homes. The reason behind the sickness of John’s wife is the same limitations imposed by society. He fails to identify the actual cause of his wife’s mental illness. The description of the room captures the broken relationship between the couple due to the absence of freedom and opportunities for the female partner.
Woolf identifies the need for feminine literature that is only possible if females acquire same freedom and independence as males. The male literature emphasizes on masculinity that again undermines the role of females, limiting them to homes. Woolf mentions, “It is when this fusion takes place that the mind is fully fertilized and uses all its faculties. Perhaps a mind that is purely masculine cannot create, any more than a mind that is purely feminine” (Woolf 97). The author stresses on gender equality and creation of similar opportunities for both genders. Eliminating females from the literary word affects the intellectualism and creativity. The author, in conclusion, emphasizes that women must have same opportunities as males. Their engagement in the literary world is the only way to change the gendered stereotypes and social constraints.
Gilman and Woolf in their writings capture the realities of gender inequalities and discrimination. Restrictions faced by females influence their personalities and lives negatively. Both authors are female who experienced the limited growth opportunities for the females. Gilman’s fiction is the depiction of unequal rights in the male-female relationship. The sickness of John’s wife is the outcome of the gender stereotypes that eliminates the concept of personal life or independence. Woolf uncovers the negative impact of social constructs on females. The social constructs confine female to houses while unequal literary opportunities resulted in their absence from literature for years. She criticizes that equal opportunities would make females more independent and confident. Gilman and Woolf accept feminine weaknesses is the result of the patriarchal system supporting males only. Male superiority and dominance resulted in feminine oppression and gender subjugation.
Work cited
Woolf, Virginia. A Room of One’s Own. Hogarth Press, 1929.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. The New England Magazine, 1892.
Heilmann, Ann. “Feminist Resistance, the Artist and “A Room of One’s Own” in New Woman Fiction.” Journal Women’s Writing 2.3 (1995).
Koç, Cengiz. “A Feminist Study of A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf.” International Journal of Media Culture and Literature 1.11 (2015).
Lanser, Susan S. “Feminist Criticism, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and the Politics of Color in America.” Feminist Studies 15.3 (1999).
