Oppression of Women in 19th Century Literature

In the story “The Yellow Wallpaper”, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, I will discuss how women were oppressed by the institution of marriage in the nineteenth century while making comparative references to “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin. Women were treated as second class citizens during the 1800’s, which under rule of their husband weren’t allowed to be a person of their own, but live in the shadow of their husband.

This personal confession shows that Mrs. Mallard, though she will mourn at first, now is free to “live for herself,” (228) not for her imposing husband. Before her husband’s death, Mrs. Mallard believed she was in a healthy, normal marriage. This death revealed to her how while she cared about her husband, she despised the lack of freedom her marriage had given her. All of the realizations that Mrs. Mallard reaches during her time of reflection shows the readers exactly why she will no longer mourn the death of her husband.

Mallard is unsatisfied with the limitations of her marriage, however, like Desiree, she is submissive and believes that the end of her duties as a wife will come at the death of her husband and her freedom will be given to her. Also, she experiences little or no feelings because of her marriage. This is shown when Mrs. Mallard, after hearing of her husband’s death, cries, but ironically she senses a moment of euphoric pleasure at the awaiting freedom in her remaining life. “She saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely.” Mrs. Millard is now aware of things that were not noticeable before such as: the beginning of spring, patches of blue sky through clouds, the twittering of sparrows and the smelling of the pending rain, which may signify the nature of her freedom. Mrs. Mallard would now be able to live her life outside the home and find her identity.

Upon hearing the news, Mrs. Mallard is overwhelmed with grief, which swiftly turned into hope. Mrs. Mallard’s reaction upon receiving the news of her husband 's death is considered to be unusually by society’s standards. In the beginning of the story it is revealed that Mrs, Mallard suffers heart problems; however, when it is revealed that her husband is dead her heart is relieved. She was thrilled that she was able to be her own person again. It was revealed through her reflection on her marriage that she “had loved him - sometimes” (16). Mrs. Mallard overcame is quick to overcome her grief after the realization that she has been set free of her horrible marriage. As a married woman, Mrs. Mallard is miserable, but as a widow she feels a sense of relief that she is free of her marital vows. At the end of the story Mrs. Mallard dies of a failing heart which it ironic because typically a woman would be filled with joy to find out

Mrs. Mallard had, "in that brief moment of illumination"(15), stumbled upon a truth: she was now her own person, free from the confines of her husband. She had loved her husband, "sometimes"(15), but that didn't matter: "What could love ....count for in the face of theis possession of self-assertion which she suddenly recognized as the strongest impulse of her being! THE theme of the story unfolds at this point: Mrs. Mallard, through the death of her husband, is able to experience the joy of the realization

Kate Chopin’s short story ,”The Story of an Hour” is written in the early 1900’s when women were expected to abide by men. In the story, the narrator Mrs. Mallard was informed by her sister Josephine, that her husband had been in a terrible accident and that he was dead. Mrs. Mallard has heart trouble but when she’s alone she expresses her relief instead of mourning her husband’s death. Mrs. Mallard locks herself in her room for an hour and contemplates what her new life would be like without restrictions. In the end, Mrs. Mallard dies because she has been updated about the accident and finds out her husband actually lived. The short story,”The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins, is written in a time of distress for women in America.

Mrs Mallard's awkward attitude after learning of her husband's death establishes an irony- somebody who is really happy in marriage will not enjoy nature in peace and have mixed emotions; the person will feel genuine grief upon hearing of the death of her husband. Here, Mrs Mallard's reaction portrays the extent to which her thirst for freedom was strong. Kate Chopin allows us to visualise the moment that Mrs Mallard is able to shed the bondage of marriage: "free, free, free!." She feels liberated through her husband's death. Much emphasis is laid on her joy upon finding freedom- "there would be no one to live for." The author also points out that "she knew that she would weep again.....folded in death." This only highlights the fact that it is not an expression of love but seems more like a duty that

Mallard’s death—the narrator used the word “killed, which emphasized the symbolism of Mr. Mallard. As Mrs. Mallard’s “paralyzing inability” loosen its grip on her perception of bondage, the imagery projected starts to decrease (278). The narrator describe Mrs. Mallard’s “physical exhaustion” as she visualize through an open window, an open square where the freeing treetops, and currently feeling a sensation of this “new spring life” in a blossoming garden of her new being (278). The narrator goes on to validate Mrs. Mallard’s perception of freedom with this vivid imagery, which opens up a great illustration of her satisfaction.

As wrong as it is, Mrs. Mallard’s desire for independence surpassed the grief for her husband, but she’s extremely conflicted and tries to fight off these feeling. Eventually, Mrs. Mallard caves and when she says words “free, free, free!”(Chopin). No longer able to hide her true feelings, she was relieved to have escaped marital entrapment. Chopin’s story illustrates just how dominating men were and how gender roles, even within the household, geared women towards domesticity and a patriarchal society. The fact that men, even though uninvolved with the household, still controlled the household and that women were confined to her husband’s beliefs and their specific role.

Mrs. Mallard realized that her husband loved her, Brently had only ever looked at Mrs. Mallard with love (paragraph 15). This means that Mr. Mallard is not a bad man, simply believes that his right a husband will no longer be there to her; there will be no one to save her and direct her life will. This opportunity is taken from her just as her chance of freedom is taken from her when she learns that Brently still lives. When Mrs. Mallard sees Brently walk through the front door, the disappointment and the devastation of loss that she suffers cause her heart to fail.

(654) It is quite apparent that Mrs. Mallard was struggling to fight back certain feelings about her husband?s supposed death. Although she is at first sad, she slowly begins to realize that the death of her husband can mean a number of great things for her. As the story progresses Mrs. Mallard eventually solves her internal conflict by accepting her husband?s death as a gift.

belived that it was okay for men to be forward but it was not okay for

Back in the 1890s it was still the ideal image for women to be the stay at home wife and/or mother. However, the women who wanted to surpass this stereotype boundary were said to be ridiculous. In addition, many female authors, like Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, started to pop up. They wrote stories that made the audience reflect on women’s side of the suffrage. In the stories The Story of an Hour (Kate Chopin) and The Yellow Wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins Gilam) both women dealt with expressing themselves while the husband was around while having to figure out their own way to get free from that controlling feeling. The sad thing is that neither character saw what was coming.

As the story begins, Mrs. Mallard is just told the news of her husband dying in a railroad accident. She is not paralyzed by grief with the inability to accept the news; she wept suddenly. She became overwhelmed with this feeling that began to possess her. The feeling was one of living for no one but herself in the years to come. There would be no one trying to impose their will onto her, and she welcomed that. Mrs. Mallard, at first, is extremely grief-stricken but soon realizes the pleasures of independence.

Independence was forbidden for women in these ages, only controlled by man, the man chosen was their husband. Mrs. Mallard has received bad news and doesn't understand the emotions scrolling through herself, mind, and body. "When she abandoned herself, a little whisper escaped her slightly parted lips. She said it over and over under her breathe; "free, free, free!" The vacant stare and look of terror that had followed it went in her eyes. They stayed keen and bright." (Chopin 637). Mrs. Mallard had been informed that her husband, Mr. Mallard, has been in a railroad disaster and has been killed. She couldn't help but feel upset and confused until she had realized a great ideal that came out of this miserable death. She spoke the words right under her breath Free! She was no longer controlled by her husband, she was now independent. she now gets to live the life she wants to live, the life worth living. She has gained something from this lose. This her time to shine. Time for her to live the life she wants to live.