Introduction
This research paper focuses on analyzing three texts: A Rose for Emily, written by William Faulkner, The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. All of the above works are prime examples of classic feminist literature and demonstrate the problem of gender inequality from a historical perspective.
Discussion
The research paper will analyze how different authors explore the critical issues of society through fiction with stories of women who have been passed off as crazy or become crazy because of male oppression. The focus of all three texts under study is on telling stories about women whose psyche has not withstood unfair social pressure. However, through the short stories about women who fell under the pressure of a male-dominated society, the authors aimed to draw attention to specific societal problems. A Rose for Emily shows the decay of Southern aristocratic culture and the unwillingness to part with the old ways of living through the main character’s attachment to the remains of her father and groom. This work demonstrates how unjustified conservatism can cripple people’s lives. The Yellow Wallpaper illustrates the negative impact of the standard Victorian ‘rest cure’ method of treatment on women (Özyön 116). This work is a typical example of the “woman in the attic” in literature. Such a case was when a woman’s disagreement with the current order of things was interpreted as madness, and men preferred to hide the “sick” away from prying eyes. Lastly, in Trifels, the author points to the differences in female worldviews formed through the years of oppression. The work demonstrates that sometimes rebellion is the only way to achieve justice in an unfair justice system. Even though the main character commits a crime, the viewer’s empathy is on her side since she has every moral right to do so, based on the circumstances: murder is perceived as just retribution. All three stories have several similarities in storytelling, showing the reader the depravity of society, which leads to terrible consequences.
All three literary sources use similar plots and stylistic devices. Firstly, all three stories predominantly focus on the main character’s story, even though they use different forms of narration. Secondly, each novel uses noir tones in the descriptions, which allows you to create an additional oppressive atmosphere. Thirdly, in each of the works, a vicious society is the cause of the suffering of the main characters. Furthermore, considering the plot elements in the story, all three texts withhold the exposition so that the whole story only becomes clear to the reader at the end. The last fact is crucial since feminist literature pushes the reader to rethink the usual, well-established things.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that all stories operate on fictional plots, they essentially realistically reflect the situation that developed at that time. Each of these sources cleverly uses literary devices to demonstrate social problems. Today, many social issues are marginalized due to their inaccurate or inept representation in the media. This happens precisely in the same way that society has marginalized the main characters’ problems in these stories. Such literature is a good example of how literature can be used in the media to showcase society’s current issues. Analyzing these sources will allow a better understanding of how the authors use art to convey critical social comments.
Work Cited
Özyon, Arzu. “A Journey of Feminist Rebellion through Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Short Story the Yellow Wallpaper and her Novel Herland.” International Journal of Language Academy, vol. 8, no. 5, 2020, pp. 115-124. Web.