Sunday, March 25, 2012

Woman's Rebellion

        "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "The Revolt of Mother" have many similarities, but none so profound as the broken female gender roles by our female protagonists. In the beginning both our unnamed narrator and Sarah are conforming to what their husband's say. The orders are given to the women, but the rebel against what is expected of them. For instance in the case of "The Yellow Wallpaper," our narrator writes without the permission of her husband, forced to do it in secret because he does not approve. Although Sarah's rebellion is much more extreme, she still goes against what her husband says and gains the house that she was promised years before.

          Another similarity that I found between the two is the domestication and lake of freedom that they are allowed to have. Sarah is making a meal after they eat a meal it is as if she is trapped a prisoner to the kitchen.  She must make her husband his meal because that is what a wife does; however, he has not lived up to being a husband. He did not provide the home for her that she felt she deserved, or he promised her when they first got married. In the case of our unnamed narrator, she is a prisoner to the home. She is not allowed to visit with friends or family because that would reflect poorly on John's reputation, him a doctor with a crazy wife. The two women from these stories are taking back what is their's, whether it is taking back the home they were promised or taking back the freedom they desperately wanted.

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