Comparing The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin and The...

The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and The Story of an Hour, by Kate Chopin are two very similar stories. Both women were controlled by their husbands who caused them to feel an intense desire for freedom. However, the women in the stories had different life experiences and different reactions to their own freedom as a result of their different personalities. Mrs. Mallard in The Story of an Hour had to deal with a sort of burden. Her husband had control over her body and soul. She felt that he lived her life for her and did not believe that anyone had the right to impose a private will on a fellow creature (Chopin). This control caused her to long for freedom from her husbands harsh behavior. Mrs. Mallard†¦show more content†¦The resulting grief because her husband was not dead was so intense that it killed her. In both stories the women?s husbands had direct control over their lives. In ?The Yellow Wallpaper? the narrator?s husband controlled her both mentally and physically. He does not allow her to have any sort of outside stimulation. She is virtually imprisoned in a bedroom, which is supposed to allow her to rest and recover from her bad health. She is forbidden to work and even write something she loves to do. In addition, visitors are not allowed. She says, ?It is so discouraging not to have any advice and companionship about my work?but he says he would as soon put fireworks in my pillow-case as to let me have those stimulating people about now?(Gilman). In ?The Yellow Wallpaper? it seems that the narrator wishes to drive her husband away, spending the entire time hoping for freedom. She explains, ?John is away all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious. I am glad my case is not serious? (Gilman). She is glad to see her husband away so that she may be left alone to do as she pleases without interference from her husband. She is frequently rebelling against her husband?s orders. She writes in her journal and tries to move her bed when there is no one around to see. However, she always keeps an eye out for someone coming. This oppressive nature results in an inferiority complex being developed by the narrator. The narrator is unable to express her opinionShow MoreRelated Comparing Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper; and Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour1097 Words   |  5 PagesComparing Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper and Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour The Yellow Wallpaper;, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and The Story of an Hour;, by Kate Chopin, are alike in that both of the women in the stories were controlled by their husbands which caused them to feel an intense desire for freedom. Both stories were also written from a feminist point of view. However, the women in the stories had different life changes and different responses to theirRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour And Charlotte Perkins Gilman s The Yellow Wallpaper Essay1670 Words   |  7 PagesA Women’s Role in a Patriarchal Society During the 19th Century Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper are two of the first works of feminist literature in the 19th century. They were written at a time when a woman’s lot was characterized by gender inequality, with few legal, social, or political rights. In the 19th century women were constant victims of society’s ideals, defined as physically and intellectually weaker than men. Fathers and husbandsRead MoreThe Story Of An Hour By Kate Chopin And The Yellow Wallpaper1395 Words   |  6 PagesThe Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman written in the 1890s both reflect gender roles of this time, specifically women’s roles. 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Female authors such as Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Kate Chopin are leading feminist writers during the age of conflicts between the ideologies of â€Å"True Womanhood† and â€Å"Women’s Rights† and they both made it clear that they were going to work for the rights for themselves and all American womenRead MoreEffects of Thirdperson and First Person1197 Words   |  5 Pagesof Third Person and First Person Can the point of view in which a story is told really change its plot? When reading a story in the first person compared to the third person, one will have two different outlooks on the story. A story being told in the first person can be unreliable at points. It allows you to get inside the protagonists head and know what they are thinking, but you are only limited to their thoughts. While a story told in the third person gives you a little more freedom, you wont