Comparison of “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “A Room of One’s Own”
Throughout history the rights of women have been considered as a prominent issue because society has tended to believe that women cannot do what men can. Women have always been considered lower then men and have strived for equal rights for many years causing many uproars and debates. After many writings, rallies and debates the rights of women have changed overtime. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf both discuss women and how they were treated during their perspective time periods. These two female authors discuss important aspects of women’s history and their individual viewpoints. Woolf is a modernist writing known …show more content…
Woolf is very blunt in saying that women were capable of doing everything a man could but society does not accept it. Gilman is not very blunt about it but uses the story filled with satire to show how women had no rights. Furthermore, the wife is treated like a child representing the fact that society did not think women could do anything. Woolf is discussing women in real life verses women in plays. As discussed before women in plays were almost worshipped for their looks when in real life “respectable women could hardly show her face alone in the street,” (Woolf). Woolf is saying that it does not seem right that women could do so much in a play and women viewed it as okay, but when on the street men could do whatever they wanted to women or even that it was not acceptable for a woman to be alone. Women saw this happening and did not try and change anything because they were so afraid to stand up for their rights. Furthermore, the fear of standing up for yourself carries over in “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The wife in “The Yellow Wallpaper” views herself as someone that is suppose to help her husband rather than helping herself. Gilman stated, “I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already,” (Gilman, 649). They are not long into their summer trip that John had decided on when the wife became ill. The wife feels guilty that she is ill and is living in fear of her husband John because she is unable to fill what she thinks are her duties. It is very sad and typical of the time period. The wife is so afraid to stand up for herself so she keeps on listening to Johns wishes instead of allowing herself to get better. As a woman she did not feel like she was really her own person and did not even see the chance of her standing up for herself as an option. Both authors
Throughout history the rights of women have been considered as a prominent issue because society has tended to believe that women cannot do what men can. Women have always been considered lower then men and have strived for equal rights for many years causing many uproars and debates. After many writings, rallies and debates the rights of women have changed overtime. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “A Room of One’s Own” by Virginia Woolf both discuss women and how they were treated during their perspective time periods. These two female authors discuss important aspects of women’s history and their individual viewpoints. Woolf is a modernist writing known …show more content…
Woolf is very blunt in saying that women were capable of doing everything a man could but society does not accept it. Gilman is not very blunt about it but uses the story filled with satire to show how women had no rights. Furthermore, the wife is treated like a child representing the fact that society did not think women could do anything. Woolf is discussing women in real life verses women in plays. As discussed before women in plays were almost worshipped for their looks when in real life “respectable women could hardly show her face alone in the street,” (Woolf). Woolf is saying that it does not seem right that women could do so much in a play and women viewed it as okay, but when on the street men could do whatever they wanted to women or even that it was not acceptable for a woman to be alone. Women saw this happening and did not try and change anything because they were so afraid to stand up for their rights. Furthermore, the fear of standing up for yourself carries over in “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The wife in “The Yellow Wallpaper” views herself as someone that is suppose to help her husband rather than helping herself. Gilman stated, “I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already,” (Gilman, 649). They are not long into their summer trip that John had decided on when the wife became ill. The wife feels guilty that she is ill and is living in fear of her husband John because she is unable to fill what she thinks are her duties. It is very sad and typical of the time period. The wife is so afraid to stand up for herself so she keeps on listening to Johns wishes instead of allowing herself to get better. As a woman she did not feel like she was really her own person and did not even see the chance of her standing up for herself as an option. Both authors