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Essay / Feminism and freedom in The Yellow Wallpaper and The Story of an Hour
In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, we see how during This period, life revolves around how men see women and their qualities. “The Story of an Hour” is linked to the “Yellow Book” because they share ideas of feminism and freedom. Both stories show women attempting to conform to societal norms in their quest for freedom. In both of these stories, doctors use rest treatment to deal with the women's conditions. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the main character is diagnosed by her husband, a senior doctor, as suffering from mental depression. She and her husband move to an isolated mansion, unsuccessfully, to find a solution to her depression. Her husband forces her to stay in a specific room that she doesn't like and is therefore responsible for her suffering. He forces her to stay in a room without going out, which takes away her freedom. In “The Story of an Hour,” the main character, also a woman, stays alone in a room in search of freedom. To live her life, she wants to be separated from her husband. However, during this period, she is denied freedom and remains stuck with her husband. Consequently, she died of a heart attack because of her denial of freedom. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Both stories describe two women who desperately seek freedom but do not obtain it because they are controlled by their husbands. In “The Story of an Hour”, Louise admits that since her marriage, her life has been different. When she learns that her husband has died, she experiences a feeling of happiness as she imagines life without him. She says that her soul and her body are finally free (Chopin 543). However, she is disappointed after discovering that her husband is not dead. Likewise, the woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” also does not benefit from her husband’s freedom. The husband prevents her from spending her time in the room where she wants to stay. He does not allow her to do what she wants and become the person she wants to be (Gilman 846). In both stories, closed rooms are used to help the reader understand the private thoughts going through the characters' minds. When not in the bedroom, women's actions conform to societal expectations. However, when they are confined to solitary rooms where they are not with their husbands, a significant change is observed. The woman in “Yellow Wallpaper” suffers from mental problems and is prevented from all activities. When left alone in the room, her thoughts focus solely on the design of the room's wallpaper until she goes crazy. At one point, she tries to free herself by destroying an image resembling a woman that she finds in the pattern. She tries to find an identity with the woman and tries to seek freedom, but she goes crazy. In “The Story of an Hour,” Louise can identify with the narrator of “The Yellow Book” because she is also confined to a room that ends up serving as the platform that leads her to ultimate freedom. In the room, the reader can understand what Louise is thinking. Just like the woman in “Yellow Wallpaper,” she exhibits a different behavior in the play. The pieces in these stories are used as avenues through which the characters destroy themselves. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Story of an Hour,” women are depicted as people who achieve freedom by adhering to society’s norms. When Louise learns of the death..