Although not every author writes with the intent of changing the reader’s viewpoint, many examples of authors of American short stories serve to illustrate underlying moral themes. These stories are written to convey ideas in an accessible and compelling way. Readers’ points of view change and evolve due to the influence of the stories they read.
Influenced by the events of her life, Charlotte Perkins Gillman aimed to effectively convey the incompetence of the rest cure implemented in the late nineteenth century with her short story, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.” Charlotte Perkins Gillman, born 1860, suffered from what was referred to as a “nervous tendency.” At that time, a great stigma was attached to mental illness, and due to this stigma, doctors …show more content…
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was advised by Silas Weir Mitchel to, “Live as domestic a life as far as possible,” to "have but two hours ' intellectual life a day,” and “never to touch pen, brush or pencil again as long as I lived” (Gilman, Why I Wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper. '). These events of Gilman’s life stood as a model for her short story “The Yellow Wallpaper.” But before she could write “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Gilman had to endure the rest cure herself. During the time she was bedridden, Gilman faced extreme isolation, not only socially but intellectually. The rest cure, meant to help Gilman recover from her mental illness, ultimately drove her closer to the brink of insanity. After recovering from her emotional collapse, Gilman began work on “The Yellow Wallpaper,” a story whose primary message was protesting against the rest cure. Many lines from the story, such as “…that there is really nothing wrong with one but temporary nervous depression- a slight hysterical tendency,” and “… am absolutely forbidden to “work” until I am well again” (Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper), apply directly to Gilman’s own life. In the short story, the unnamed narrator is restricted to a single room, …show more content…
The main characters of the short story, Louisa Ellis and Joe Dagget, have been engaged for fifteen years while Joe had lived in Australia, “where he had gone to make his fortune, and where he had stayed until he made it” (Freeman). During Joe’s absence, Louisa, whose mother and brother recently passed, built a life independent of anyone else. She is a woman who is meticulous in everything she does and takes great pleasure in organization and order. Louisa’s almost obsessive need for organization shows through in multiple occasions in the text, such as “Louisa kept eying them with mild uneasiness. Finally she rose and changed the position of the books, putting the album underneath. That was the way they had been arranged in the first place,” and, “…and began sharply examining the carpet. She even rubbed her fingers over it, and looked at them” (Freeman). In both instances, Joe Dagget was the cause of the disorder in Louisa’s home. David H. Hirsch, literary critic, observes, “For Louisa, marriage is no longer a possibility; order has triumphed over confusion” (Hirsch). Freeman develops that Louisa’s home represents to Louisa all that she has accomplished on her own. If she were to marry Joe, and live in his home with his mother, she would be forced to abandon the daily traditions she holds so
Influenced by the events of her life, Charlotte Perkins Gillman aimed to effectively convey the incompetence of the rest cure implemented in the late nineteenth century with her short story, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.” Charlotte Perkins Gillman, born 1860, suffered from what was referred to as a “nervous tendency.” At that time, a great stigma was attached to mental illness, and due to this stigma, doctors …show more content…
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was advised by Silas Weir Mitchel to, “Live as domestic a life as far as possible,” to "have but two hours ' intellectual life a day,” and “never to touch pen, brush or pencil again as long as I lived” (Gilman, Why I Wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper. '). These events of Gilman’s life stood as a model for her short story “The Yellow Wallpaper.” But before she could write “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Gilman had to endure the rest cure herself. During the time she was bedridden, Gilman faced extreme isolation, not only socially but intellectually. The rest cure, meant to help Gilman recover from her mental illness, ultimately drove her closer to the brink of insanity. After recovering from her emotional collapse, Gilman began work on “The Yellow Wallpaper,” a story whose primary message was protesting against the rest cure. Many lines from the story, such as “…that there is really nothing wrong with one but temporary nervous depression- a slight hysterical tendency,” and “… am absolutely forbidden to “work” until I am well again” (Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper), apply directly to Gilman’s own life. In the short story, the unnamed narrator is restricted to a single room, …show more content…
The main characters of the short story, Louisa Ellis and Joe Dagget, have been engaged for fifteen years while Joe had lived in Australia, “where he had gone to make his fortune, and where he had stayed until he made it” (Freeman). During Joe’s absence, Louisa, whose mother and brother recently passed, built a life independent of anyone else. She is a woman who is meticulous in everything she does and takes great pleasure in organization and order. Louisa’s almost obsessive need for organization shows through in multiple occasions in the text, such as “Louisa kept eying them with mild uneasiness. Finally she rose and changed the position of the books, putting the album underneath. That was the way they had been arranged in the first place,” and, “…and began sharply examining the carpet. She even rubbed her fingers over it, and looked at them” (Freeman). In both instances, Joe Dagget was the cause of the disorder in Louisa’s home. David H. Hirsch, literary critic, observes, “For Louisa, marriage is no longer a possibility; order has triumphed over confusion” (Hirsch). Freeman develops that Louisa’s home represents to Louisa all that she has accomplished on her own. If she were to marry Joe, and live in his home with his mother, she would be forced to abandon the daily traditions she holds so