Similarities Between The Yellow Wallpaper And The Chrysanthemums

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Recommended: Females in 20th century literature

The Yellow Wallpaper (1892) and “The Chrysanthemums (1937) are two famous articles about feminist. The woman in both of two stories are trapped in their marriage and in male-donated society. However, the different ends of those stories reflect author’s point of view about woman’s role in society.

The narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper was trapped in her marriage and her husband orders. Under the name “helping” her, John - her husband - control and treat her like a child. As a part of resting cure, she is forbidden to think about her condition: “I sometimes fancy…about the house.” Her thoughts are interrupted by John’s instructions, everything in her mind is her husband’s voice which telling her what she should think. And she is forced to hide …show more content…

The woman in this story is Elisa who is describe as an attractive, eager, powerful, energetic woman. She is professional in her job however her life is unsatisfying because she lives in a society which is gender roles prohibit women from their potential and full development. There is no chance for intelligent woman like. She really like her job “ Oh, those are…anybody around here”, she says with “the irritation and resistance melted” in her face. She is gifted at growing plants however she is not allowed to make business deals, only her husband can decide it. The only thing Elisa can do is “working in her flower garden, looked down across the yard and saw”. She stays far away from her husband and the strangers and receives the information of the business deal indirectly through her husband. Moreover, her husband also limit her ability to work. When Elisa suggests that she wants to “work out in the orchard” because she has a gift with planting, Henry recognizes this fact too but he denies her “Well, it sure works with flowers”. Again, the male donated society limits her development.

Not only lacking of chances in career, Elisa also lacking of sexual fulfillment. It leads her to act in irrational ways as “kneeling there,…like a fawning dog”. Because of her frustrated desires, her actions and her language when she talks to the tinker – a complete stranger - are nearly pornographic. It reveals the relationship

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