Elizabeth Vaz
October 16th, 2015
English 11 Pre-AP
Women’s Oppression in Literature
It is often noted that in society, women are oppressed by men, but how often does the
problem of women being subjugated by other women or even themselves become an issue?
Authors Sinclair Ross and Charlotte Perkins Gilman express many aspects of women’s
oppression in their short stories, “The Painted Door” and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” respectively.
The two stories both tell about women whose actions are controlled by their husbands and the
other men in their lives. Because of this, both protagonists have a feeling of isolation,
subconsciously leading them to carry out undisciplined or reckless behavior. Both authors
decidedly prove that women in society aren’t only overpowered by men, but also by society, and
even by their own consciences.
Generally, in the Victorian era, men viewed women as naive and childish, as shown by
the way they speak and interact with females. When John, in “The Yellow Wallpaper” refers to
his wife as “little goose” and “little girl,” it reveals how he sees her as juvenile. By giving these
titles to his spouse, John demotes her from “wife” to “child.” He talks to her as if she were less
mentally developed, speaking in short sentences and using basic vocabulary. Additionally, John
treats her like a child, as she recounts in her writings, “...dear John gathered me up in his arms,
and just carried me upstairs and laid me on the bed, and sat by me and read to me till it tired my
head.” His treatment of his wife like an infant, instead of like an equal demonstrates his
subconscious view of her. He handles her emotional instability like a parent would treat a crying
baby - with the assumption that there is really nothing wrong, and that the child is simply upset.
Similarly, in Ross’ “The Painted Door,” Steven talks to Ann as if he was talking to a child, “It was
a quiet, sympathetic voice, yet with an undertone of insolence, a kind of mockery, even.” Steven
also views Ann as if she were a silly, foolish youth. He recognizes the her determination to go
out into the blizzard independently. He considers her weak and having a naive attitude towards
the raging snowstorm and therefore feels sorry for her. Nonetheless, he takes advantage of her,
knowing that she would give in to her desires, as children often do. Two of the stories’ main
male characters, John and Steven, look down upon the females in their lives, seeing them as
less emotionally, physically and intellectually developed than themselves.
The maltreatment of women is also shown by how women in society look upon each
other. Jennie, for example, from “The Yellow Wallpaper,” can identify with the narrator on some
levels, but for the most part, brushes off the narrator’s feelings, and blindly follows Johns
instructions for his wife, always reminding her to “not get tired” and “be more careful.” She
dismisses her sister-in-law’’s emotions and even when the narrator complains, she reminds her
that John, the patriarch of the house, always knows best.
She is for Jeannie a chore to be taken care of and Jennie only treats her as per John’s
wishes. Society also ignores the narrator’s best interest in general, as it prescribes her the
“Resting Cure” when it identifies her mental illness. Although society at the time believed the
“Resting Cure” to be a feasible solution to ailments of the mind, it ignores her wants and social
needs as a women and does nothing to reassure her or to make her feel comfortable. The
isolation from society and the restriction from any “active” work such as writing, does little for the
protagonist to ease her pain, and if anything, only worsens it. Society also brings down Ann in
“The Painted Door”, as proven by her desire to accomplish her goal of going out during the
snowstorm. As “a farmer’s wife,” Ann is expected to stay at home, doing domestic work, and
therefore, society restricts her from doing any physically demanding tasks. She longs for the
self-assurance that would come from braving the storm, but the reminder of society’s intentions
for her of her throw her off her balance, causing her to quit her endeavor early. Society as a
whole can contribute heavily to the oppression of women, even if it is only indirectly.
The subjugation of women can often be so ingrained in a community, that women can
see themselves as objects of less worth than men. Ann in “The Painted Door” suggests this by
saying to herself, “I’m a fool,” for believing that John would come home for her in the fierce
storm. She discredits her own emotions, believing them to be inferior to her husband’s comfort.
She clearly puts herself below John and Steven, thinking her feelings to be of no importance.
“The Yellow Wallpaper”’s protagonist displays the same self-subordination: “Of course, it is only
the nervousness.” She contradicts her own uneasy feeling, labeling it as part of her “condition,”
when in reality, her feelings of restriction are due to her husband’s oppressive ways. She
believes that her emotions are not warranted and is even grateful to her husband for “trying to
fix her.” In fact, the narrator’s conscience is so askew that she attempts to make her
circumstances clear by imagining herself as the woman trapped behind the “hideous” yellow
wallpaper. Eventually, when she identifies fully with the woman in the yellow wallpaper, referring
to herself in the third person, her husband believes her to have gone insane. He does not
recognize that the climax of her illness is due to his restriction of her, and not due to her own
mad characteristics. The issue of women’s inferiority is so pronounced that females begin to
women begin to perceive themselves as worthless.
Although the treatment of women has come a long way since the Victorian era, women
are still victimized, their feelings and opinions dismissed. The protagonists’ interactions reveal
the harsh truth of women’s diminishment in society: it can be exhibited by more than just men,
but also by a community or by oneself. Through their stories, both Ross and Gilman
demonstrate the real dangers that the perceived inadequacy of woman can have - dangers that
can change the perspective of women everywhere.