Charlotte Perkins Gilman was one of the many staunch champions of feminism who expressed her thoughts on the subject through her widely appraised literary works. Gilman not only represented the struggles that women of her time were facing through these works, but her real life experiences also exemplify the obstacles that women had to face in order to get to the extent of equality that exists today.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born on July 3, 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut to Mary Westcott and Frederick Beecher Perkins. As a child, Gilman’s family life was less than perfect. Charlotte’s father “found himself married to a dependent wife who loved him desperately and whose affection he returned grudgingly” (Davis 19). Frederic felt that his …show more content…
She recalled feeling as if she was “‘No good as a wife, no good as a mother, no good at anything’” (Gilman 91). Charlotte came to resent her husband and his “freedom to work—even though he, too, had a child, a spouse, and a home” (Davis 85). Gilman eventually met with S. Weir Mitchell, a well renown specialist in nervous disorders at the time, after her depression failed to subside. He prescribed her with his famous “rest cure” that involved the patient following a strict regimen consisting of “rich and fatty foods, extreme seclusion, enforced rest” and forbade any writing, reading or exercise (Davis 97). Mitchell showed little sympathy for Gilman and females alike as he believed that his patients could control their own symptoms. Mitchell also held the belief that education caused women to lose their “usefulness” to society (Davis 96-7). In 1890, Charlotte finally ended her marriage and denounced the treatments that Mitchell enforced. Her experience with depression and its treatment led her to write her famous short story, “The Yellow Wall-Paper.” Not only did the story express her opposition to the method of treatment she underwent, but it also conveyed her utter disgust of how men treated women and how women were expected to act. Gilman later remarried to her second cousin, George Houghton Gilman. Charlotte was entranced with her new relationship and …show more content…
She was faced with these obstacles that could’ve given her reason to give in to the societal norms of the time, but she wanted her voice to be heard in hopes that equality would soon prevail. Although equality hasn’t reached its full potential with regards to race and class, the many advocates of gender equality, especially Gilman, have drastically improved the the rights of women today. Without Gilman’s efforts, the way society views women may have never changed, leaving them no other choice but to be dependent
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born on July 3, 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut to Mary Westcott and Frederick Beecher Perkins. As a child, Gilman’s family life was less than perfect. Charlotte’s father “found himself married to a dependent wife who loved him desperately and whose affection he returned grudgingly” (Davis 19). Frederic felt that his …show more content…
She recalled feeling as if she was “‘No good as a wife, no good as a mother, no good at anything’” (Gilman 91). Charlotte came to resent her husband and his “freedom to work—even though he, too, had a child, a spouse, and a home” (Davis 85). Gilman eventually met with S. Weir Mitchell, a well renown specialist in nervous disorders at the time, after her depression failed to subside. He prescribed her with his famous “rest cure” that involved the patient following a strict regimen consisting of “rich and fatty foods, extreme seclusion, enforced rest” and forbade any writing, reading or exercise (Davis 97). Mitchell showed little sympathy for Gilman and females alike as he believed that his patients could control their own symptoms. Mitchell also held the belief that education caused women to lose their “usefulness” to society (Davis 96-7). In 1890, Charlotte finally ended her marriage and denounced the treatments that Mitchell enforced. Her experience with depression and its treatment led her to write her famous short story, “The Yellow Wall-Paper.” Not only did the story express her opposition to the method of treatment she underwent, but it also conveyed her utter disgust of how men treated women and how women were expected to act. Gilman later remarried to her second cousin, George Houghton Gilman. Charlotte was entranced with her new relationship and …show more content…
She was faced with these obstacles that could’ve given her reason to give in to the societal norms of the time, but she wanted her voice to be heard in hopes that equality would soon prevail. Although equality hasn’t reached its full potential with regards to race and class, the many advocates of gender equality, especially Gilman, have drastically improved the the rights of women today. Without Gilman’s efforts, the way society views women may have never changed, leaving them no other choice but to be dependent