Research

Kincaid’s feministic theories are also engrossed in the story “The Yellow Wallpaper.” In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” instead of looking at the generational teaching of patriarchy the story reveals the first had affects that a particular woman is facing. According to Ames article, “On Feminism and 'the Yellow Wallpaper,'” “A feminist text states the author’s agenda for women in society as they relate to oppression by a patriarchal power structure and the subsequent formation of social standards and protocols.” Most feminist text are written by a women, and typically are aware of the, mentally and physically, abusive male motives such as Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper.” In a work of feminist fiction, the heroine personifies the social battle against male supremacy. Gilman was an early feminist, and her writings share a common theme that women do not have an equal human status in society.

The Yellow Wallpaper has a definite agenda. This agenda deals with a woman’s struggle against the “male-centric thinking and societal norms” (Ames). In the story, there is a domineering husband who drives his wife mad in an attempt to help her, but the story illustrates how established protocols of behavior could have devastating effects on the women of Gilman’s time. John, the husband, is eerily inappropriate and restrictive but this was considered normal, while Jane is the mistreated woman. The primary focusing point of the short story is ‘the yellow wallpaper’ which conveys many detailed and vivid metaphors for the astute mistreatment and oppression of women. Steadily and methodically, Gilman is able to expose more insight into the meaning of the wallpaper. The ugly yellow wallpaper is a symbol of male authority. Jane is the quintessence ...

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... to express her thoughts on breaking the tough societal barriers.

As a woman, Jane feels tired because of the need to hide her thoughts from her husband and society. She also feels pressured by society to remain in the care of her husband because it is what a man is supposed to do. Jane states, “he takes all care from me, and so I feel basely ungrateful not to value it more.” The imprisonment and uselessness that Jane feels is a means of being pressured worship and be thankful to her husband. Jane’s prison is unchangeable because of her husband. He purposely keeps the room the same in order to keep her mentally imprisoned in his patriarchal world. “At night in any kind of light, in twilight, candlelight, lamplight, and worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars” (Gilman) demonstrates the feministic view of the physical and mental imprisonment of women in society.