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Girl By Jamaica Kincaid And The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

1038 Words5 Pages

Throughout history, women have had to fight for their rights and equality in society. There are many joys of womanhood, such as the natural connection from woman to woman, the strength and power, and the innate feeling of love. Despite this, there are certainly multiple negatives to being a woman. The female experience is unique, and can be extremely difficult at times. Ever since the beginning of time, women have always been told how to behave, how to feel, and just how to live in general. In the prose “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, and the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, both pieces of literature show the themes of womanhood, and how the two stories can be connected.
In the poem “Girl”, Kincaid beautifully portrays …show more content…

In both stories, a person with higher authority is trying to control the main character. In “Girl”, the mother frequently slut-shames her daughter, and tells her how to become a good housewife, while in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the main character slowly descends into madness, as her husband does not get her the proper help she needs for her mental health. “this is how you iron your father’s khaki shirt so that it doesn’t have a crease; this is how you iron your father’s khaki pants so that they don’t have a crease” (Kincaid). In this line, Kincaid represents the expectation of women to serve their husbands and fathers. This is also shown in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, when the main character feels as if she has to hide her true self to please her husband. “I am a doctor, dear, and I know. You are gaining flesh and color, your appetite is better, I feel really much easier about you." "I don't weigh a bit more," said I,” (Gilman 652). The woman’s husband thinks she is getting better just because of her appearance, but continues to ignore her mind’s health. Once again, this is a very negative aspect of womanhood that women throughout history have experienced. “this is how to bully a man; this is how a man bullies you; this is how to love a man, and if this doesn’t work there are other ways” (Kincaid). The mother is telling the daughter ways to deal with men in her life, which, unfortunately, is a reality for most women. Hostility from men is something every woman will deal with at least once in her life. This is also shown in “The Yellow Wallpaper” when the husband ignores the main character’s needs, and does not get her proper medical

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