The Psychological challanges of Oppressed women in The Yellow Wallpaper - Essay Example

The Psychological Challenges of Oppressed Women in “The Yellow Wallpaper” Introduction Charlotte Perkins Gilman’ story, “the Yellow Wallpaper” deals with the psychological challenges of women in a male dominated society. The author has shown how patriarchy suffocates the healthy psychological growth of women and cripples their capability of interacting with the society freely. Gilman’s story narrates the horrible psychological transition of a woman in order to show how the society imposed restrictions can mutilate the psychological growth of women. In the story, the author attempts to vindicate that nuptial institution as well as the related restrictions imposed upon a woman in marriage is detrimental to the harmonious psychological growth of women. That is, women’s struggle for their own selves must challenge the so-called male-imposed norms, rules and regulations in the name of women’s betterment. Society’s Attitude towards Women’s Psychological illness in the 19th Century and its Influence on Gilman’s Writing Gilman’s story speaks more of the patriarchy’s attitudes towards women’s mental illness, in the 19th century, which was considered to be the result of extensive brainwork. Especially in women’s case, brainstorming was thought to be more detrimental to women’s psychology. Consequently women are commonly kept away from brainwork such as reading, writing, mass education, and from any other intellectual works. Indeed, the main line of the story “The Yellow Wallpaper” has greatly been shaped by a major event of Gilman’s life, as Thrailkill says, “The Yellow Wallpaper draws heavily on a particularly painful episode in Gilman’s own life” (67). In 1886 after the birth of her daughter, Gilman becomes a victim of severe depression. In a book, “The Living of Charlotte Perkins Gilman” Gilman admits that her “unbearable inner misery” is worsened by her husband’s presence. Her husband, Weir Mitchell, nervous specialist prescribed her “rest cure” or “forced inactivity” as her treatment that rather worsened her condition further (Gilman 79-82). All her condition was conveyed into the story “The Yellow Wallpaper”. The story “The Yellow Wallpaper” is one of Gilman’s writings that reflect her society’s views of mental illness and diagnostic conventions and attitude towards women’s postpartum psychosis. The setting of Charlotte’s story “The Yellow Wallpaper” enormously reflects the time period in which the story takes place. Indeed the setting of the story reflects the American society in the late 19th when the people were less endowed with scientific knowledge and the position of women in the society was restricted within the four walls of their parents and husbands’ house. Women were also thought of to be devoid of any intellectual capability. Therefore they were restricted from any psychophysical works except the indoor activities of raising children and serve their husbands. Evidences of Gender Discrimination in Gilman’s Story The distorted figure in the yellow wallpaper symbolizes the forced inactivity of women and also the society’s view of women’s physical fragility. In the 19th century American and European societies it is thought that women are the passive pacifier of men’s sexual desire and therefore they should not do any type of work more than what the circumstance requires them. The male dominated society thinks that men are born to work outside and women are for house and hearth. But according to the vindication of Gilman’s story, what men think of the betterment of women is their mere observation from a remote point of view. Men never can assimilate themselves with the selves of women and therefore they cannot feel what is felt by women (Bak 41-2). But as the protagonist herself is confined and restricted, she can feel the agony of the imaginary crippled woman who is bandit in the yellow wallpaper. She is confined within the sanitarium that symbolizes the whole male dominated society, as the imaginary crippled woman is confined in the wallpaper. In this regard, she says, “I don’t like to look out of the windows even—there are so many of those creeping women, and they creep so fast. I wonder if they all come out of that wall-paper as I did” (Gilman). Also referring to the symbolic significance of the yellow wallpaper, Barbara Suess says, “To intensify the irony of his transformation, Gilman has her narrator aggressively express her annoyance that John has fainted since she now has to run "right over him." He is now in the way of her "creeping," an activity she earlier attributed to the woman in the wallpaper, an activity that seems not only subversive, but also undefined, repetitive, and comical” (6). But ultimately the readers question themselves whether the environment in which the protagonist lives is really healthy for his wife. A close feminist reading will discover the fact that the male-female functional division certainly is what that is expected by a woman who is in continual search for freedom, as Hotchman Barbara says, “there is a certain irony in the fact that feminist readings of ‘‘The Yellow Wallpaper’’ have relied so heavily on identification with the narrator” (6). In her story Gilman upholds the crying need of women’s freedom to work. In the story, the protagonist is found to be restricted from any type psychophysical and outside work, though the protagonist feels that working may improve her condition. But ironically such forced inactivity is thought of to be for her wellbeing. Gilman refers to the fact that women’s confinement within the four walls of their husbands’ house hampers their normal psychological growth. Psychological Discrimination in the story Indeed both Ibsen and Gilman have challenged this patriarchal solution to women’s mental illness as well as psychological deficits. Thrailkill Fagan Jane notes that Gilman’s story originates in her own experience as he says, “the real purpose of the story was to reach Dr. S. Weir Mitchell [Gilman’s husband], and convince him of the error of his ways” (47). During those days it was thought by some anti-feminist that women are not capable of doing mathematics and other intellectual jobs. But Gilman clearly shows that the protagonist of the story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is fully capable of doing intellectual works. She is endowed with a strong imaginary and creative power. Internally Jane is incredibly free and active. She likes to follow her own way and she is found to be driven by her will. Though she is restricted by her husband and the society, she practices writing and other intellectual works. Abuse of Women in a Male Dominated Society Regarding the abuse of women in Gilman’s society, Suess says, “Any astute reader cannot help but perceive the conscious irony inherent in Jane's overt pairing of her awareness of John's counterproductive medical advice with her (supposed) verification of his sagacity and devotion” (5). On the surface level, John, the protagonist’s husband seems to be very caring to wife. But through the ironies the readers becomes aware of the true situation of the protagonist. He appears to be aware of the needs of her wife. But the real fact is that he never can read the protagonist’s mind and what she really wants, as it is evident in the narrator’s speech, “John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage” (Gilman). Again the protagonist of Gilman’s story says that “I am glad my case is not serious” (Gilman). But the readers are aware of the fact that this is not the actual message that the protagonist means in that line. Again she ironically refers to the seriousness of her condition, as she says, “If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency—what is one to do?” (Gilman). Her condition is more serious than before. Also there is the situational that is embedded within the theme and structure of the story. This irony lies in what John thinks and do for the welfare his wife. The result goes against his expectation and finally the protagonist goes crazy. Conclusion According to Gilman, women’s situation from a male point of view is ironical in the sense that the male counterpart of the society thinks that what they prescribe for women is for their welfare, while the male dominated society’s restriction in the name of women’s wellbeing is detrimental to the women’s psychology. Throughout the whole story John examines the protagonist’s condition from a detached observer’s point of view. Consequently he cannot look into the protagonist’s agony. But John can be viewed as the production of his male society. In John’s society, women viewed only from a male point of view and this male viewpoint is excessively obsessed with the sexuality of the female body. Works Cited Bak, John S. "Escaping the Jaundiced Eye: Foucaldian Panopticism in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper'." Studies in Short Fiction. 31.1 (1994): 39-46. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. Butler, Judith. Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity, New York: Routledge. 1990. 02 November, 2010. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, Feminist Story Collection. New York: Bookshaw. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Living of Charlotte Perkins Gilman. New York: Penguin, 2006. Hochman, Barbara. "The Reading Habit and 'The Yellow Wallpaper'." American Literature: A Journal of Literary History, Criticism, and Bibliography. 74.1 (2002): 89-110. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. Suess, Barbara A. "The Writing's on the Wall: Symbolic Orders in 'The Yellow Wallpaper'." Women's Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 32.1 (2003): 79-97. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Web. 25 Feb. 2010. Thrailkill, Jane F. (2002). "Doctoring 'The Yellow Wallpaper'," ELH, volume 69, issue 2. Read More