Some men tell us we must be patient and persuasive; that we must be womanly. My friends, what is a man’s idea of womanliness? It is to have a manner which pleases him, quiet, deferential, submissive, approaching him as a subject does a master. He wants no self-assertion on our part, no defiance, no vehement arraignment of him as a robber and a criminal. (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Womanliness 1890)
A fictional narrative is a powerful literary tool. It allows an author to tell a story which otherwise might be too horrific or unbelievable to tell. It makes it possible for the unspeakable to be spoken. Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote the story The Yellow Wall-Paper to give a voice to the oppressed masses of women during the 1890’s. The Yellow Wall-Paper is an indictment of misogynists America circa 1890. In her story she allows the reader to see America through three different lenses: The paternal chauvinist John, the empathetic and submissive Jennie, and the unnamed protagonist, who......
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Approximate Word Count: 1620
Approximate Pages: 7 (260 words per double-spaced page) |