Most feminists would agree that feminism is a movement that empowers women to break free of the chains of male supremacy and also a movement that allows them to find level footing on the uneven turf of gender inequality. However, tension arises when people contend over how women can and should escape from the misogynistic fetters that restrain their true identity. What exactly does a free, independent woman look like and most importantly, how is she able to achieve that freedom from male supremacy? Even famous feminist authors such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman in her short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Kate Chopin in “The Story of an Hour” seem to disagree in how a woman can break free from misogyny. The premise of Gilman’s story is that
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Gilman’s premise in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, that women are the only ones who can set themselves free is much more valid and reasonable than the notion in Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour” that implies that circumstances must change before a woman can fully pursue her own identity. For one, male supremacy can only be defeated when a woman claims the right to her own unique identity outside of the constructs that a predominantly male society sets before her. The woman’s husband in “The Yellow Wallpaper” fainted when he saw his wife not only disheveled and filthy as the result of the mental havoc she had succumbed herself to, but also when he saw a woman who had fought and discovered her own identity despite his attempts to keep her under control. When he locked her up in the attic, he was not simply attempting to keep her physically healthy as he claims numerous times throughout the text, but he was attempting to limit her abilities to assert her own identity. In fact, the protagonist’s husband represented the larger male structure that wished to stifle out women’s right to their own identity. However, when he saw his wife, that had somehow overcome the suppressing system that had been set up, he fainted in horror and shock. This is the only way in which women can defeat male privilege---through sureness …show more content…
Mrs. Mallard in “The Story of an Hour” tasted freedom for a short time, nonetheless, her happiness quickly extinguished when she saw her husband alive. This reaction of intense fear indicated that she realized that circumstances were no longer on her side, and that once again, she would have to enter back into the role of unhappy housewife. This clearly proves that if feminists believe that they have to “wait” for when the time is “just right”, they will never experience freedom. And even when it does feel like the right time, circumstances can easily be changed in a matter of seconds. Ultimately, There is never a good time to go against the grain and do what is uncomfortable. In fact, if someone does not rebel against “normal” circumstances, they will never change. It isn’t comfortable rebelling against the socially accepted norms in society, however, if one can be brave such as the protagonist in Gilman’s essay real change can take place in a privileged white male society. Courage must always overpower overwhelming
Gilman’s premise in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, that women are the only ones who can set themselves free is much more valid and reasonable than the notion in Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour” that implies that circumstances must change before a woman can fully pursue her own identity. For one, male supremacy can only be defeated when a woman claims the right to her own unique identity outside of the constructs that a predominantly male society sets before her. The woman’s husband in “The Yellow Wallpaper” fainted when he saw his wife not only disheveled and filthy as the result of the mental havoc she had succumbed herself to, but also when he saw a woman who had fought and discovered her own identity despite his attempts to keep her under control. When he locked her up in the attic, he was not simply attempting to keep her physically healthy as he claims numerous times throughout the text, but he was attempting to limit her abilities to assert her own identity. In fact, the protagonist’s husband represented the larger male structure that wished to stifle out women’s right to their own identity. However, when he saw his wife, that had somehow overcome the suppressing system that had been set up, he fainted in horror and shock. This is the only way in which women can defeat male privilege---through sureness …show more content…
Mrs. Mallard in “The Story of an Hour” tasted freedom for a short time, nonetheless, her happiness quickly extinguished when she saw her husband alive. This reaction of intense fear indicated that she realized that circumstances were no longer on her side, and that once again, she would have to enter back into the role of unhappy housewife. This clearly proves that if feminists believe that they have to “wait” for when the time is “just right”, they will never experience freedom. And even when it does feel like the right time, circumstances can easily be changed in a matter of seconds. Ultimately, There is never a good time to go against the grain and do what is uncomfortable. In fact, if someone does not rebel against “normal” circumstances, they will never change. It isn’t comfortable rebelling against the socially accepted norms in society, however, if one can be brave such as the protagonist in Gilman’s essay real change can take place in a privileged white male society. Courage must always overpower overwhelming