The Rights Of Women In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper

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“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” (US Constitution, Amendment XIX). The above is the 19th amendment of the United States of America Constitution. Ratified in 1920, after supporters worked tirelessly to change the mindset of a nation. But even with the law, there are still stereotypes. There are still people set on what they think. The issue is not the rights of women. Since 1920, they have had the rights. The issue does not even focus on disputes such as money, working, or privileges. The issue is being understood. In the short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Charlotte Perkins Gilman presents a clear and relevant example of the suppression …show more content…

Glaspell’s work revolved mainly around the identity that females have. The play’s title, Trifles, means insignificant, little things setting up the path of the play. In Trifles, a wife has, presumably, murdered her husband. Although it is not evident at first, it is later on obvious that this woman was neglected both mentally and emotionally. “…He was a hard man… Like a raw wind that gets to the bone.” (p949). The irony were the women found the evidence but the men just let them go off on their own since it was assumed that they didn’t know anything about investigation. This once again proves the ignorance of the men in the story, which is ultimately where the oppression originates. Just as the husband in The Yellow Wallpaper is not abusing her, he is merely ignoring her and not taking what her own understanding of her condition. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the wife wanted a different room and be able to write, but the husband treated her like she didn’t know what was best for her, just like the wife in Trifles. The woman wanted to sing, but her husband would not allow this, therefore, not granting her happiness. The women that were at the investigation figured this out and then helped the woman by hiding the …show more content…

In fact, Cinderella itself is a prime example on how women should not be suppressed of their own potential. The Cinderella story most known is the “Disney version.” This version is criticized greatly by feminists due to Cinderella’s lack of taking action. Peggy Orenstein wrote an article in the New York Times in 2006 commenting on princesses in today’s society. She speaks of how every little girl these days are expected to be enthralled with princesses. She notes how they cannot grow up wanting to be heroes or anything of that sort. This is similar to “The Yellow Wallpaper” because due to princess stories such as Cinderella, little girls are pushed so often to desire being princesses just like in the short story, wives must succumb to their husband’s authority and ‘superior’

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