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The Yellow Wallpaper, By Harriet Beecher Stowe

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The Yellow Wallpaper is a feminist piece of literature that analyzed women’s struggle in the 1900s, such as medical diagnosis and women’s roles. Over the years, women struggled to attain independence and freedom. In order to achieve these liberties, they were females who paved the way and spoke out about these issues to secure equal rights for women. In addition, these powerful females used their vulnerability to challenge the male domination through their literary work. The Yellow Wallpaper is a direct reflection of Charlotte Perkins Gilman and her political view on women’s health, both mental and physical.
In order to have a better understanding of The Yellow Wallpaper, it is imperative to understand the life of Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In 1860, Gilman borned as Charlotte Anna Perkins in Hartford, Connecticut. Her father, Frederick Beecher Perkins abandoned the family when she was only an infant. She surrounded herself by influential women that inspired her ideas of equality and independence, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Later, Gilman attended the Rhode Island School of Design and after graduating she went on to design greeting cards and teach. In 1884, she married and right after her unhappy marriage, she gave birth to a daughter. In this period of her marriage, she suffered through severe depression that affected her for years. In 1887, she entered a sanitarium in Philadelphia, which inspired her to write her famous treasure “The
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