American society encountered several changes. The changes included the gender equality issue. The author was one of the gender equality victims. Charlotte P. Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper novel describes the plight of discriminated women during the 19th Century American period. Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper is a feminist novel. The Gilman novel discussed how 19th-century American society unfavorably permitted the continuing discrimination of women. In terms of the male gender, the women of Gilman’s time were not treated as equals (Dock 19). The women were normally assigned home chores. Surely, the Gilman masterpiece depicts unfair gender discrimination.
Further, Dr. John compulsorily placed Charlotte P. Gilman on a prolonged rest routine. (Gilman 6). Dr. John was Gilman’s husband. Dr, John diagnosed her illness as neurasthenia. During her forced rest, she must not work. She was confined to her room. The room was covered with yellow wallpaper. Clearly, Dr. John forced the rest routine on Gilman.
Additionally, Gilman’s purported Neurasthema ailment is a mental disease. The disease borders on insanity, a psychological ailment. The symptoms include tiredness. The patient is not easily motivated to pursue assigned tasks. Another telltale symptom is having a feeling of insufficiency. Just like other psychological ailments, patients are classified as acting abnormally. Clearly, Neurasthema is a psychological ailment (Kitanaka 54).
Another research affirms gender discrimination prevailed during Gilman’s 19th Century time period. Consequently, women were not allowed to own property. Likewise, employers preferred male job applicants. Women were at the financial mercy of their husbands. Compared to the male employees, the female employees were paid lower salaries (Deji 49). Undoubtedly, gender discrimination during Gilman’s period was real. Additionally, the story reminds us of how women of Gilman’s period hated society’s discriminatory policies. The women were treated as second class citizens. Instituting the lock-up medical procedure, the medical doctor never asked Gilman’s advice, comments, or suggestions. Dr. John harshly implemented long rest treatment. During all this time, Gilman felt that bed rest was not the best cure for her sickness. Instead, Gilman opined the better treatment was exploring the outdoors (Gilman 6). However, Dr. John used his masculine gender to strictly impose his overpowering medical authority on Gilman. Without a doubt, women generally protested against society’s discrimination culture.
Further, the story reveals Gilman is hopelessly forced into obeying her husband’s commands (Gilman 7). For example, her husband prohibited Gilman from leaving the room. Consequently, Gilman was forced to hide her pen and paper. When John was not around to oversee her every action, Gilman continued writing. After writing her book, The Yellow Wallpaper, the book was published and sold. The book was a bookstore success. Vividly, Gilman could not escape obeying her abusive husband.
To increase her avoidable torment, Dr. John disallowed Gilman’s performing household chores. Her locked room resembled a similar to a prison cell. Consequently, John’s sister, Jennie, took care of the family’s young child (Gilman 20). Likewise, the house nanny, Mary, took care of the housekeeping responsibilities. In the Morales de Sierra Case, the Inter-American court affirmed the standardization of the roles of each spouse may unlawfully border on gender discrimination (Cook 119). Clearly, Gilman could not perform household tasks.
Moreover, the story reminded us that goodness prevailed. The current state laws require the implementation of gender equality. The spouses must treat each other on equal terms. In terms of major home decisions, the husband must seek the approval of the wife. At all times, the courts require gender equality must be upheld in the home, school, or workplace environment (Lindgren 261). Evidently, the story showed goodness reigned. The wife, Gilman, Defeats her Husband’s Patriarchal Culture Gilman used several ways to defeat her husband’s patriarchal culture. First, Gilman defied her husband’s abusive instructions. Gilman did not stop working (Gilman 10). When her husband was not around, Gilman continued writing her autobiography, The Yellow Wallpaper. Gilman’s favorite work was writing about her unfavorable situation. Surely, Gilman implemented a unique way to overcome her abusive husband.
Second, Gilman defied the patriarchal culture of her real world by entering the insane world. By focusing her eyes on the wallpaper, Gilman saw the silhouette of a woman who was trapped inside the wallpaper (Gilman 19). The woman was trying to escape the yellow wallpaper’s boundaries. Likewise, Gilman observed the trapped lady left the wallpaper during the day (Gilman 27). Consequently, Gilman decided to help the trapped lady escape. The escape was done by simply tearing down the yellow wallpaper. Definitely, Gilman escaped discrimination by enthusiastically entering the insane world.
Third, Gilman escaped the patriarchal world by placing herself in the shoes of the wallpaper’s trapped lady. The wallpaper lady’s prison represented Gilman’s current incarceration (Gilman 19). Her prison was her forced subservience. Subservience included obeying Dr. John’s orders. Gilman’s American society mandated she had no right to question or disobey her husband’s instructions. Gilman realized that setting the wallpaper lady free equated to setting herself free. The release of the trapped lady gives Gilman complete satisfaction. Freeing the trapped lady symbolized cutting off John’s discriminatory acts. Without a doubt, Gilman escaped the patriarchal society.
In her insane world, Gilman helped several women who were trapped inside the yellow wallpaper. Observing the wallpaper, Gilman distinguished several bulbous eyes and strangled heads. The ladies were trying to escape from the yellow wallpaper (Gilman 31). The scene symbolized the plight of the women during Gilman’s period. The women wanted to escape from the tyrannical rule of the male populace. They sought the help of Gilman. Gilman understood their predicament. She did not walk away from her destiny. By tearing the wallpaper, she successfully freed the trapped rebellious women. Evidently, Gilman rescued trapped women from their yellow wallpaper prison obstacles.
Fifth, Gilman explained to John that she had finally broken the patriarchal culture. With the complete destruction of the yellow paper, Gilman frankly informed John that she had set herself free. With the tearing of the wallpaper, Gilman told John that he could no longer force his authority on Gilman. Dr. John’s fainting indicated he was forced to accept defeat. Undoubtedly, Gilman stopped gender discrimination. When John saw the wallpaper was completely removed, John fainted.
The fainting symbolized Gilman’s escape. Gilman was able to flee her prison, John’s dictatorial world. With the author’s defiant efforts, the story ends with Gilman feeling triumphant (Gilman 35). The story ends with Gilman crawling around. The crawling around indicated Gilman could freely do whatever she preferred. Dr. John could not prevent Gilman’s exploring the outdoors. She was now free to write her autobiography. By cutting off the male gender’s dominating culture, Gilman could fulfill her dreams. Definitely, John’s fainting represented Gilman’s triumph over the patriarchal system.
Summing up, a society incorporated significant changes. The Gilman story exposed her society’s gender discrimination policy. Gilman revolted against the unfair policy. Gilman succeeded. John’s fainting affirmed Gilman’s success. Overwhelmingly, Gilman exposed her period’s unfavorable gender discrimination policies.
Works Cited:
Cook, Rebecca. Gender Stereotyping. New York: University Press, 2011. Print.
Deji, Olanike. Gender and Rural Development. Hamburg: LIT Verlag Munster, 2011. Print.
Dock, Julie. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper. Philadelphia: Penn State. Print.
Gilman , Charlotte. The Yellow Wallpaper. New York: Filiquarian Press, 2007. Print.
Kitanaka, Junko. Psychiatric Cures for a Society in Distress. New York: University Press, 2011. Print.
Lindren, Ralph. The Law of Sex Discrimination. New York: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.