In our society, there is little discrimination against women. However, in the past, the discrimination against women was prevalent. For example, it was common that daughters were not considered equal as sons so that the girls had to do house chores instead of studying. Also, wifes should obey their husbands and mothers-in-law since they had no power at all. By criticizing this tendency, some femininsts like Virginia Woolf started write books actively in 1800s. Charlotte Gilman, the writer of 'The Yellow Wallpaper', was one of the feminists writers as well. She intended to criticize discrimination against women through the specific space in the novel. In 'The Yellow Wallpaper', an old room with a yellow wallpaper is a very important element because all processes of a woman's experiencing change are closely related to the room.
At first, the room of yellow wallpaper reflected social tendency of discrimination against women at that moment. A woman whose husband was a doctor was moved to house like gothic castle and locked in the room by him and his mother. The reason why she was locked in the room was that her husband diagnosed her as a mental patient and imposed her to take a rest. She had no choice but to obey his words though she was normal. During her staying at the room, she was very scared of the one's eyes-like patterns of the wallpaper. She felt as if someone had watched her every day and night. Over time, the patterns seemed like eyes of a number of women crippling with their heads upside down.
She wanted to get out of the room, but she couldn't. Thus, she became insane, and started to cosider herself as the woman locked in the patterns of wallpaper. She tried to get out tearing the wallpaper, ruinning the room and shouting. Frightened her husband went to the room in hurry. After looking at her crippling strangely, he fell down in a faint. As a result, she identified herself as the crippling women-like pattern of the yellow wallpaper so that she did so. The room with yellow wallpaper, at last, made her a real mental patient, which extremely well expressed the trgedy from the discrimination against women.
In conclusion, in 'The Yellow Wallpaper', the room not only shows predominant male chauvinism to readers,but also the tragedy caused by it. In fact, the woman in the novel was treated like a patient who had a mental disease because she kept a diary and wrote a novel. Her husband and her mother in law didn't want the 'woman' to write something. If she had been a man, she could have been allowed to dream of a writer, and couldn't have been locked in. This novel's scary and horrifying story and mood could frighten people, but it's the only thing that effectively could reveal that present's injustice.
I recently learned about discrimination against women in movies. I recommend the movie, Whale Rider. If you have a time, I want you to watch this movie! Also, I didn't know the movie, Yellow Wallpaper. I was shocked after I read this writing. The yellow wellpaper drives her crazy. It's tragic element.
답글삭제I think I should watch that movie. Thank you for recommending, but I think you might miss the word of my posting. 'The Yellow Wallpapaer' I wrote for my posting is originally a novel. :)
삭제I didn't know that Yellow Wallpaper's main character was locked in a room because she wrote a novel. It is really unfair that women can not write and engage in society. I am also interested in feminism's relationship with literature and your writing was so impressive.
답글삭제Thank you for commenting. If you have a lot of interest to feminism, I strongly recommend to enroll the course named English Reading or English Shortnovel by a professor, Yang sook Lee.
삭제Oh, I know this story shortly! I learn this story when I took a "American Literature course." I heard that this novel was based on her own experience. I think not only that woman but also almost all the woman who are married might have mental disease and all the office woman might has too. Korea's women discrimination still be strict. Many woman works hard, but it is difficult for them to get a promotion. It has to disappear. Free for Women in the house, in the company.
답글삭제Wow.. I did not read this book but it seems really interesting!! Even though I know the basic summary of this book, I want to read it so badly lol
답글삭제It is shocking how her husband and husband's mother lock the woman..... Also, the fact that woman has no power to deny her husband's word shows the tragic society for women at that time period..