The “The Yellow Paper” wall paper is a short story written in 1899 by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The short story is about a middle-aged woman that suffers from depression has a mental breakdown during her stay at a rental house. During her stay at the rental house there is a yellow wallpaper in her bedroom that initially disgusts her but becomes her obsession before she breaks down. The yellow wallpaper plays an important role in this story because it causes the narrator to break down and represents much more than a simple object. Due to the experiences the narrator undergoes and the interactions with her husband during the time period, the yellow wallpaper represents oppressive gender norms.
The narrator experiences oppressive gender norms through her husband not listening to …show more content…
Of course if you were in any danger, I could and would, but you are really better, dear, whether you can see it or not” (8) “The fact is I am getting a little afraid of John” (9)
The narrator does not fulfill her duties of a traditional women of the time period. Now she feels guilty for not following her assigned gender role. While lying in bed, she writes in her journal “It does weigh on me so not to do my duty in any way! I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already!” (3). Here, she is referring to her duty of a traditional wife. These duties include taking care of her son and other domestic chores that John’s sister Jennie currently does. Next she states what she is able to do; “Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able,--to dress and entertain, and other things” (3). It takes an immense amount of effort to do the few traditional expectations of a woman: to dress and
The narrator experiences oppressive gender norms through her husband not listening to …show more content…
Of course if you were in any danger, I could and would, but you are really better, dear, whether you can see it or not” (8) “The fact is I am getting a little afraid of John” (9)
The narrator does not fulfill her duties of a traditional women of the time period. Now she feels guilty for not following her assigned gender role. While lying in bed, she writes in her journal “It does weigh on me so not to do my duty in any way! I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already!” (3). Here, she is referring to her duty of a traditional wife. These duties include taking care of her son and other domestic chores that John’s sister Jennie currently does. Next she states what she is able to do; “Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able,--to dress and entertain, and other things” (3). It takes an immense amount of effort to do the few traditional expectations of a woman: to dress and