vCharlotte Perkins Gilman 's "The Yellow Wallpaper" tells the story of Jane, a woman who suffers from "nervous depression” (113). In "The Yellow Wallpaper," Gilman demonstrates the oppressive social roles expected of Jane, the narrator, such as not having any aspirations other than that of a submissive housewife and mother. First, Jane 's husband and physician, John, has total control of both Jane’s mental and physical reality. The combination of Jane trying to be a submissive wife and her inactivity due to the "rest cure" prescribed by John results in Jane 's loss of identity and willpower. Second, John forbids Jane from writing, but she resists his control by keeping a journal, and loses control of her mental projection by adopting a new
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John opposes the narrator 's creativity by forbidding her from writing. However, the story is written as a journal entry by Jane. Thus, Jane 's resistance is obvious. The narrator writes in her journal, "There comes John, and I must put this away - he hates to have me write a word" (Gilman 115). This example shows Jane 's fear of John. Jane does not want John to know under any circumstance that she is writing, and so must hide her work. This quotation shows John’s mental control over Jane, and the fact that the narrator cannot be honest with John because of his hatred for her writing demonstrates her husband 's power and dominance in their …show more content…
Jane is expected to be the ideal woman because of the patriarchal society that she lives in. John attempts to control Jane 's health and life by prescribing the "rest cure.” The "rest cure" breaks Jane 's will and identity, leading the protagonist into a state of insanity. Forbidden to do any work, the protagonist writes in secret. Jane sees an imagined figure of a woman trapped in the wallpaper of her room, and compares the figure to herself because she too is trapped by John 's control of her life. At the end, Jane no longer has any control of
John opposes the narrator 's creativity by forbidding her from writing. However, the story is written as a journal entry by Jane. Thus, Jane 's resistance is obvious. The narrator writes in her journal, "There comes John, and I must put this away - he hates to have me write a word" (Gilman 115). This example shows Jane 's fear of John. Jane does not want John to know under any circumstance that she is writing, and so must hide her work. This quotation shows John’s mental control over Jane, and the fact that the narrator cannot be honest with John because of his hatred for her writing demonstrates her husband 's power and dominance in their …show more content…
Jane is expected to be the ideal woman because of the patriarchal society that she lives in. John attempts to control Jane 's health and life by prescribing the "rest cure.” The "rest cure" breaks Jane 's will and identity, leading the protagonist into a state of insanity. Forbidden to do any work, the protagonist writes in secret. Jane sees an imagined figure of a woman trapped in the wallpaper of her room, and compares the figure to herself because she too is trapped by John 's control of her life. At the end, Jane no longer has any control of