Comparing The Yellow Wallpaper And The Story Of An Hour

beginning of time. From early neolithic ages where the cavemen took woman as ownership to

In the short stories “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, are stories about women who suffer from different conditions, but are very similar. In “The Story of an Hour” the main character suffers from an unknown heart condition, and becomes very detached from her husband. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the main character suffers from a psychological condition, and is taken care of by her husband John but slowly grows away from his care. While these women may have very different situations, they are very similar in the way they grow away from their husbands, feeling oppressed by society, and wanting to feel free.

The stories of the Yellow Wallpaper and Story of an Hour are both stories that have deep meaning, and many hidden symbols. In both stories there is a woman who in some way is oppressed by some outside force and must find a way to overcome this oppression. While in both stories the main charcter goes through a different ordeal, The main theme behind these events are the same and the two experiences can compare to eachother. the events match in both women we oppressed by men and portrayed

Throughout history, women have struggled to be seen as equals and have had to fight for their freedom from the roles society placed upon them. Kate Chopin and Charlotte Perkins Gilman both use their literary works to show the challenges women went through, and how they battled for the freedoms they desperately wanted. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a short story about a woman that goes to a summer home to rest and get well under the supervision of her husband who is also a physician. Her husband decided it would be best if she sat in a room alone and did nothing. In the end, she becomes insane and finally finds her freedom. “The Story of An Hour” is about, Mrs. Mallard, a woman who has just found out her husband has died. Mrs. Mallard

Feeling trapped or stuck is extremely difficult to get out of. Mrs. Mallard felt trapped because throughout the story, Mrs. Mallard’s house was never called a “home”. House and home may be synonymous, but they have different connotations; home has a more secure and comfortable vibe whereas house is just a place with 4 walls and a ceiling overhead. This house felt empty and lonely and dull and boring. She notes that “in the open square before her house the tops of trees were all aquiver with the new spring life,” (5). The outdoors was full of life and color and expression and action, and she wanted to be a part of that but never attempted to include herself. Because she stayed indoors, Mrs. Mallard, upon hearing the news regarding her husband, sought comfort from “a comfortable, roomy chair,” (4). Despite the fact that she had the company of her sister and friend at the time, she chose an inanimate object to sob on. She felt more comfortable crying on a cold and hard chair as opposed to the warm shoulder of her own sister. Not only was she lonely, but she was trapped in an

When her husband is killed in a train accident Mrs. Mallard cries, but for different reasons than would be expected. She is sad for her husband’s death, but, moreover, she is overcome with joy. For now she is free. No one recognizes her true emotions because women fall apart when their spouse dies; it’s required. Marriage is portrayed as a life sentence. "She said it over and over again under her breath: ‘free, free, free!' Her pulse beat fast, and the coursing blood warmed and relaxed every inch of her body"(1). Mrs. Mallard was relieved that her husband died for she thought her sentence was over. When she realized that he was still alive, and therefore she was still committed to the marriage, she died from the shock and horror of being trapped.

Mrs. Mallard reacts emotionally, just as her sister and Richards expected, seen when Mrs. Mallard is described to have “wept at once, with sudden, wild abandonment.” Furthermore, after “the storm of grief” left, Mrs. Mallard is “pressed do down by a physical exhaustion that haunted her body and seemed to reach into her soul.” Her reactions and feelings are described in great detail with almost hyperbolic figurative language which conveys the notion that Mrs. Mallard is being overemotional. Moreover, Mrs. Mallard does so despite the husband’s domination and control over her, seen when the husband is described to have a “powerful will bending hers in […] blind persistence.” However, upon her revelation of her sudden freedom from her husband’s clutches, her mindset takes a radical

In this essay I will be comparing the two short stories “The Story of an Hour” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”. “The Story of an Hour”, written by Kate Chopin, is centered around a woman by the name Louise Mallard and her reaction after being informed of her husbands “death”, On the other hand “The Yellow Wallpaper” Written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is about Jane, A young, newly married mother who at the time is undergoing care because of her depression. Although both essays have their similarities and differences I will be focusing mainly on the themes of Freedom, Isolation and Oppression. I will also be focusing on how the themes appear within both short stories and do a compare and contrast about the way the themes appear in the two short stories.

This can show the reader that a woman at this time might not even be aware of just how much of herself she has to hold back when married.  It seems like Mrs. Mallard didn’t allow herself the thoughts of being completely free from him and what she will be able to do when he’s no longer around, until he was actually dead.

Upon hearing the news, Mrs. Mallard is overwhelmed with grief, which swiftly turned into hope. Mrs. Mallard’s reaction upon receiving the news of her husband 's death is considered to be unusually by society’s standards. In the beginning of the story it is revealed that Mrs, Mallard suffers heart problems; however, when it is revealed that her husband is dead her heart is relieved. She was thrilled that she was able to be her own person again. It was revealed through her reflection on her marriage that she “had loved him - sometimes” (16). Mrs. Mallard overcame is quick to overcome her grief after the realization that she has been set free of her horrible marriage. As a married woman, Mrs. Mallard is miserable, but as a widow she feels a sense of relief that she is free of her marital vows. At the end of the story Mrs. Mallard dies of a failing heart which it ironic because typically a woman would be filled with joy to find out

Marriage has often been described as one of the most beautiful and powerful unions one human can form with another. It is the sacred commitment and devotion that two people share in a relationship that makes marriage so appealing since ancient times, up until today. To have and to hold, until death do us part, are the guarantees that two individuals make to one another as they pledge to become one in marriage. It is easy to assume that the guarantee of marriage directly places individuals in an everlasting state of love, affection, and support. However, over the years, marriage has lost its fairy

On the other hand both stories give the reader a taste of what marriage must have been like in the 1900s and for somewhat life could still be for women now. Both the narrator in "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Mrs. Mallard in "Story of an Hour" it seems as though both wives feel repressed. It shows that the

is evident in “An Story of an Hour” that the protagonist lead a very sheltered life due to her illness and

In both short stories, the main characters, Mrs. Mallard and the narrator have or ended up developing some sort of illness while in their marriages which can create difficulties in their relationship. In “Story of an Hour”

The way Mrs. Mallard’s reacts show her true feelings on just how suffocated, she felt living for another person and not herself. In the beginning of the story we see that she is shocked and surprised by the news of her husband's death, crying as soon as they told her and heading towards her room after calming down where she is filled with joy and happiness since the thing that she always wanted was to have her independence and freedom from her marriage. Everyone shows remorse for Mrs. Mallard since they think she is feeling sad and depressed over his death almost thinking that she is going to commit suicide over him when she goes alone to her room showing just how blind and oblivious they were over her true feelings since the society they live