The Yellow Wallpaper And Chopin The Story Of An Hour Oppression Analysis
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Oppression in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Kate Chopin both present intriguing short stories with the common theme of oppression that strongly mirrors their personal experiences. The narrator in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” is portrayed as being trapped by her husband and suffering from mental illness. This is represented by the woman behind the wallpaper. Chopin shows oppression in “The Story of an Hour” by Mrs. Mallard’s joy after the “death” of her husband and her reaction when he returns. It is evident that the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Mrs. Mallard in “The Story of an Hour” represent the authors’ personal lives and oppression in women. Evidence suggests that Gilman based “The Yellow Wallpaper” off her own life. In 1884, Gilman happily married Charles Walter Stetson but soon became distant and depressed. Stetson was very overprotective and affectionate which caused her depression to severely worsen, and ultimately caused their marriage to end. As Carl N. Deglar states in his article, “Her illness became more severe, however, and ended in a total nervous collapse” (39-42). This is likely where Gilman got the theme of oppression when writing “The Yellow Wallpaper.” She based the narrator’s life on her own failed marriage and mental collapse. After the divorce, Gilman moved to San Francisco in 1894 and wrote many short stories there including “The Yellow Wallpaper” (Deglar 39-42). This was