Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
Compose a comparative essay on the topic below:
Select two of the assigned stories from Week 2 (Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Glaspell’s “A Jury of Her Peers,” or Wharton’s “Afterward”) and explain how and why these stories use the gothic genre as a vehicle for critiquing patriarchal society. If you choose this option, you will need to perform close readings of relevant supporting quotations.
Sample Solution
Charlotte Perkins Gilman had no way of knowing that a story she wrote in 1892 would one day be regarded as a classic in feminist literature. The gothic tale of “The Yellow Wallpaper” has become just that, although it took nearly a century to find a truly understanding audience. Early readers were appreciative of the sheer horror of the tale, and, indeed, it still stands as a wonderful example of the genre. But it was not until the rediscovery of the story in the early 1970’s that “The Yellow Wallpaper” was recognized as an early feminist indictment of Victorian patriarchy. This story contains many typical gothic trappings, but beneath the conventional façade lies a tale of repression and freedom told in intricate symbolism as seen through the eyes of a mad narrator.
