Warning: Use of undefined constant referer - assumed 'referer' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 102

Warning: Use of undefined constant host - assumed 'host' (this will throw an Error in a future version of PHP) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 105

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 106

Warning: Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays:102) in /usr/home/essaywo/public_html/essays on line 109
The Societal Implications Of "The Yellow Wallpaper" - Online Term Paper

The Societal Implications Of "The Yellow Wallpaper"

In early nineteenth century literature, women were extremely confined in their topics of writing. It was rare to see a woman write about oppression, resentment towards the patriarchal society they lived in, or their frustration over the submissive relationships that women were forced into (713). Charlotte Perkins Gilman was one of the first women writers to break out of the societal boundaries that were placed around her. In her short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" she explores the status of women at the turn of the century.
In "The Yellow Wallpaper" a woman slowly goes insane due to domestic oppression and lack of stimulation. The woman is confined to an attic in the old abandoned ...

Want to read the rest of this paper?
Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay
and over 50,000 other term papers

for a long time what the thing was that showed behind, that dim sub-pattern, but now I am quite sure it is a women." (665). Eventually the narrator merges her life with the life of the woman behind the wallpaper.
The ever-changing pattern of the wallpaper divided the two worlds that the narrator was living in. The front of the wallpaper represented what society expected of women during that time. Generally, a woman was to be submissive to men as well as devoting all of their time to raising perfect children (849). Gilman describes the pattern of having no true design, but says "It is repeated, of course by the breadths, but not otherwise." (662). Most women were imitating the role of housewives without question, and those women that tried to break out of the repetitious portrayals were considered blasphemous to their gender.
At the end of "The Yellow Wallpaper" the merged narrator is found creeping within the perimeter of the room. This signifies the creeping women ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays.
Write better papers. Get better grades.

Already a member? Login

CITE THIS PAGE:

APA
MLA
Chicago
Turabian

The Societal Implications Of "The Yellow Wallpaper". (2008, August 28). Retrieved January 11, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Societal-Implications-Of-Yellow-Wallpaper/89016

"The Societal Implications Of "The Yellow Wallpaper"." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 28 Aug. 2008. Web. 11 Jan. 2026. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Societal-Implications-Of-Yellow-Wallpaper/89016>

"The Societal Implications Of "The Yellow Wallpaper"." Essayworld.com. August 28, 2008. Accessed January 11, 2026. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Societal-Implications-Of-Yellow-Wallpaper/89016.

JOIN NOW

Join today and get instant access to this and 50,000+ other essays

PAPER DETAILS

Added: 8/28/2008 03:01:56 AM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 896
Pages: 4

Save |

Report

SHARE THIS PAPER

SAVED ESSAYS

Save and find your favorite essays easier