Comparing Feminism In The Yellow Wallpaper And The Birthmark

Gothic Feminism in “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Birthmark” Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper” as a way to gain publicity about the, once commonly prescribed, Victorian “rest-cure.” The piece became slightly autobiographical as well, seeing as how Charlotte Perkins Gilman had personally been prescribed such a treatment. “The Yellow Wallpaper” provides an account of a similar woman, driven to madness by this very same “period of inactivity” said to cure hysteria and nervousness in women. Aside from the fact that the piece was originally written to bring awareness to an ineffective treatment and to titillate the horror fans of the era, it is also important to identify the examples of modern feminism in the piece. Although “The Yellow Wallpaper” was not seen as a particularly controversial piece in its time, it is now often recognized as an early feminist charge against …show more content…
Before looking at what the wallpaper symbolizes to the narrator, it is important to look at how it affects others who see it as well. On several occasions John and his sister, Jennie, see the wallpaper and seem to act strangely toward it, or at least on some level are affected by it. The Narrator even refers to seeing John looking at the paper, in exasperation she states, “I have watched John when he did not know I was looking, and come into the room suddenly on the most innocent excuses, and I've caught him several times LOOKING AT THE PAPER!”. She then goes on to say that Jennie herself had at one time been seen with her hand placed on the wallpaper, and appeared to be ashamed when confronted on the issue. The true meaning behind this is most likely, not as cryptic as it is presented, seeing as how by this point in the story the narrator is quite far gone. Regardless of the inherent power of the wallpaper the true importance is that which it takes in the narrators broken