The Yellow Wallpaper and Advice to Young Ladies - Essay Example

Compare and Contrast Trifles the Yellow Wallpaper and Advice to Young Ladies Introduction Advice to young ladies is a poem by Alec Derwent Hope, about a girl accused of being too clever for her age. The yellow wallpaper is a short story, authored by an American novelist, Charlotte Perkins – about a woman who is confined by the husband due to her depression. Trifles, is a one-act play, authored by Susan Claspell – about a woman accused of murdering her husband. This paper is an analysis and synthesis of the three works – making a comparison and contrast of the main points, especially the themes expressed through the works; showing a contribution of the study to society, who will gain and what can be achieved from addressing the issues raised. The paper will show how the issue of discussion applies to daily livelihood (Gilman 20; Belasco & Johnson 782; Hope). Discussion The poem “advice to young ladies,” is about a young virgin by the name Postumia. The young lady is indicted of not being a virgin – simply because; she seems to be too clever for her age and the men surrounding her. This belief is based on the consideration of the people of that time, that extreme wisdom/ genius nature from a woman was a crime. The lady was taken to a court, and declared innocent, though the men’s view of her changed – as they saw her smartness and wit as a threat to them; thus could not see her like a woman anymore. The message conveyed through the poem, is that the people of that time considered men as superior to the insignificant women. They also held the view that women did not have the right to express themselves, or use their intelligence. The points are evident: from looking beyond Postumia, and into the actual motive – where a woman – who feels or seems superior to men is attacked, showing that women did not have a in such a society (Hope). The yellow wall paper, like “advice to young ladies,” presents a woman who is subjected to male domination – confined by the physician husband inside a rented summer house; forbidden from working, so she can recover from a condition he calls transitory nervous depression. He also argues that the situation was common among the women of the time. As a result, the woman, resorts to hiding the journal she was writing from him, just like Postumia, who would have been safe, if she had not expressed her wit. Her access to the rest of the house is also controlled, which has profound effects on her mental health, causing her to fall into psychosis, a situation similar to the phobia of Postumia from the previous work – who is stripped off her identity as a woman. Due to the confinement, she draws stimulation from the pattern and the color of the wall paper. A delusion develops, making her start seeing it as a very strange yellow, and a symbol of the things she never saw before, especially the old, foul bad things and an unpleasant yellow smell. This is similar to the case of Postumia, who is pushed into a world of seeing the negative side of things, as she no longer would appreciate her wit, but would curse it for making her look like, less of a woman. At the end, she starts imagining women creeping behind the yellow patterns – identifying one of them as herself. As a result, she locks herself inside the room, imagining that it was the only place where she was safe, as everything outside threatened her world, especially the green surroundings. This is similar to the identification of Postumia, with remaining stupid-like, as it would save her of the negative look by men (Gilman 23; Belasco & Johnson 782; Hope). Trifles, like, ‘advice to young women and the yellow wallpaper,” explains the plight of a woman subjected to male judgment and prejudice, as well as female protection of their fellow victims. Margaret is accused of killing her husband, but she argues that an intruder had broken in and murdered the husband using an axe. This case is similar to that of Postumia and the confined wife from the previous cases, as their views are not given attention. Two women understood Minnie better than the men, thus uncovered evidence showing that she had committed the murder, inside her sewing basket – which they hide, as a way of protecting her from the men – who were evidently not friendly. This is similar to the cases of Postumia and the confined wife, as they seem to be under the oppression of men, a case that makes the women protect her. The men on the other hand, are cold and emotionless about the situation, looking for material evidence and facts to convict the woman. The men in this case, live under the prejudice that nothing significant could be drawn from the sphere of women, which is the house, where Minnie spend most of her time. This case is comparable to that of Postumia and the confined wife, where the views of these women are seen as insignificant and useless. This evidently, shows a sense of dismissal for the life of a woman, and a reluctance of the men to involve such a world in their search. From the case, the men kicked the evidence away, demeaning the role of women in the justice system, within the society. This case compares to that of Postumia and the confined wife, as they are dismissed as sources of anything of importance (Gilman 34; Belasco & Johnson 782; Hope). Across the three works, advice to young women, the yellow wallpaper, and Trifles, the ideas of male dominance are expressed, these being in the areas of class and work, discrimination, equality of opportunity and identity conflicts. Male domination is also seen in the objectification of men superiority, power, knowledge, as well as sex and gender roles. The aspects of class and work are evident, where Postumia, the wife confined by the husband and Minnie are restricted and classed around the minority of acting in the roles of women – where they will continue to be dominated by the males within their societies. In the case of Postumia, her wit is criticized, and her womanhood questioned, as she would become a threat to the domination of men, who felt that she was smarter than them. In the case of the confined woman, her voice regarding the exposure she needed was insignificant, and her class shown as that of taking what is delivered. Her work is portrayed as that of acting like she is directed by the husband. In the case of Minnie, the men view women as incapable of gathering any significant thing, and unable to have anything of importance at their spheres. As such, the men see the work of women as simply, centered on the kitchen (Gilman 30; Belasco & Johnson 782; Hope). Identity conflicts are evident through the different works, as Postumia is left to question her identity as a woman – simply because she was smarter than the men. The confined wife is depicted as one who did not have a decision of their own regarding her health, which she questioned, until she identified with it, feeling safe as a distanced person. Across the different works, the men are portrayed as superior to women, as Postumia is victimized from being smarter than the men, the confined wife is subjected to the oppression of the husband, and the role and work of women is seen as trivial in Trifles. In the area of power, Postumia deprived of her intellectual ability, the confined wife dictated by the husband into confinement, and the women in Trifles is seen as incapable of amounting to any authority. In the area of knowledge, Postumia is criticized for showing wit, and branded – not a woman, the confined wife treated as unaware of her own needs, and the kitchen in Trifles – shown as a place of no information or ideas. In contrasting the works, Trifles draws out the role of women as centered on the kitchen and nowhere else, as the case was – with Minnie and the other two women. In the yellow paper, the place of a woman is not expressly explained, as the case was, with advice to young ladies. Through the two works, only the superiority of men is portrayed. Discrimination is a theme which is depicted through advice to young women, as Postumia is subjected to such, while the yellow wallpaper as well as Trifles does not show any aspects of it. The question of men, as more intellectually endowed than women is introduced in advice to young ladies and the yellow pages, but not in Trifles. Through advice to young ladies and Trifles, women are not allowed equal opportunity in the area of voice in the society, which is not the case in the yellow wallpaper (Gilman 45; Belasco & Johnson 782; Hope). The insights that can be drawn from the work include that women were often subjected to the oppression of men within the society, and that their place, often depended on their dictation. It is also, clear that women are treated as objects of realizing the needs of men, for example the role portrayed about kitchen work. However, their role as sources of information and ideas is greatly questioned, as the case is in Trifles and advice to young ladies (Gilman 45; Belasco & Johnson 782; Hope). Conclusion From the discussion of the themes, ideas, and tendencies discussed from the three texts, it can be pointed out that the domination of women – often limiting their abilities, potential and their role within the society are evident. Therefore, such a situation, which was common in the past, and still common in the present, is an issue that should be addressed in a substantial manner, if women are to be given fair treatment and playing ground for achievement and realization. The comparative study plays the role of showing the extent of limitation and the level of oppression that women face, which forces them to remain with unrealized potentials and abilities – both intellectual and in other areas. Therefore, this will be of significance to governments, institutions and other authorities – in creating a favorable competition plane between men and women. Therefore, this literature is of significance in cultivating the personal motivation of women, eliminating established oppression lines, and addressing the access of women to self-development opportunities. These issues are evident through the three works, where Postumia is victimized for her abilities, the confined wife is dictated regarding her welfare and the women in Trifles are not offered an opportunity to offer ideas or contribution into societal matters. Works Cited Belasco, Susan, & Johnson Linck. The Bedford Anthology of American Literature, Volume II: 1865-Present. Boston: Bedford-St.Martin's Press, 2008. Print. Gilman, Charlotte. The Yellow Wallpaper. New York: Carrol and Graf Publishers, 1989. Print. Hope, Alec. "Advice to Young Ladies" by A.D. Hope. You Tube Video. Web. 2 May 2012. Read More