Thursday, October 10, 2019
The Impact of Family Relationships in ââ¬Åthe Story of an Hourââ¬Â & ââ¬Åthe Yellow Wallpaperââ¬Â
Family relationships, especially involving spouses can create difficulties and challenges for one or the other, in-turn could create an impact in their relationship. Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠and Charlotte Perkins Gilmanââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Yellow Wallpaperâ⬠are short stories centralized on the view of two married women, the challenges they endure in their relationships and coping with their spouse. Women wanting to have freedom, having to deal with an illness and their position in the household can create such challenges for spouses. Freedom to women means to be treated as an equal to their spouse, to avoid being controlled with every aspect of their lives. In Kate Chopinââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Story of and Hour and Charlotte Perkins Gilmanââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"The Yellow Wallpaper, both have a setting in the same era of men being dominant over their spouse. In ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hourâ⬠, the protagonist Mrs. Mallard kept whispering to herself upon hearing the passing of her husband; ââ¬Å"â⬠¦she said it over and over under her breath: Free, free, free! â⬠(Chopin 2) and ââ¬Å"Free! Body and soul free! â⬠(Chopin 3). In my point of view those feelings that Mrs. Mallard felt at that moment was finally being let go from her husbandââ¬â¢s grasp and the shackles of marriage which was an imprisonment to her. In ââ¬Å"The Yellow Wallpaperâ⬠, the narrator of the story was remained nameless is confined in a room with eccentric wallpaper, which I think seems to symbolize the complexity and confusion in her life. The narratorââ¬â¢s freedom in this case would be writing, which did not sit well with her husband based on this quote; ââ¬Å"There comes John, and I must put this away ââ¬â he hates to have me write a wordâ⬠(Gilman 57). For those moments the narrator writes in her journal she feels to have freedom and to express herself from reality, but in secret. The way the narrator describes her room as; ââ¬Å"it is a big, airy room, the whole floor nearly, with windows that look all ways, and air and sunshine galoreâ⬠¦I should judge, for the windows, are barred for little children and there are rings and things in the wallsâ⬠(Gilman 56). This portrayal of the room could be described as confinement for the narrator, and a sense feeling trapped. 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 ââ¬Å"Story of an Hourâ⬠it was stated Mrs. Mallard was ââ¬Å"affiliated with heart trouble, great care was taken to break to her as gently as possible the news of her husbandââ¬â¢s deathâ⬠(Chopin 1). According to the facts provided in the short story there was no hint or confirmation that she had this condition since her childhood, so objectively speaking, assumptions could be made such as Mrs. Mallard developing the illness over the course of her marriage. In ââ¬Å"Yellow Wallpaperâ⬠, the narrator is mentally ill and with the advice of her husband, a physician advises her that nothing is wrong, according to the this quote ââ¬Å"â⬠¦you see, he does not believe I am sickâ⬠¦if a physician of high standing and oneââ¬â¢s own husband assures friends and relatives that there is nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression ââ¬â a slight hysterical tendencyâ⬠(Gilman 55). For that fact, the husband advises her to be confined in a room, and stating her disapproval, she would say her husband ââ¬Å"would not hear of itâ⬠(Gilman 56). As time went by in her room, she looks to have developed fascination with the wallpaper in the room, which she also disliked, using her imagination. Every aspect of the wallpaper was analyzed with thoughts such as ââ¬Å"This paper looks to me as if it knew what a vicious influence it hadâ⬠(Gilman 59) and ââ¬Å"The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern, just as if she wanted to get outâ⬠(Gilman 63). These facts could be assumed that she was starting to get mentally unstable being imprisoned, with her spouse not willing to help her; a mental illness was present. The 18th century is known for husbandââ¬â¢s being the dominant gender whereas their spouse is looked upon as ââ¬Å"fragileâ⬠while their thoughts and suggestions being ignored. The husbandââ¬â¢s duty would be that they are the income earners whereas the wife would preform her duties as what a typical wife would do during that era; run the household. Women would want to speak up but are afraid that it would show disrespect and as time goes on would eventually lead to resentment. In ââ¬Å"Story of an Hourâ⬠Mrs. Mallard was hearing the news of her husbandââ¬â¢s passing, upon receiving it, she would have such joy inside her which led to her death; ââ¬Å"when the doctorââ¬â¢s came they said she had died of heart disease ââ¬â of joy that killsâ⬠(Chopin 4). The story doesnââ¬â¢t elaborate the details of her marriage, only in the present, assumptions could be made how Mrs. Millardââ¬â¢s marriage was as a woman in the 18th century, and especially with the reaction she had upon hearing the news. In ââ¬Å"The Yellow Wallpaperâ⬠, the narratorââ¬â¢s husband was the main income earner with a ââ¬Å"high standing positionâ⬠(Gilman 55), while the wife was home. A quote said by the husband was ââ¬Å"what is it little girl? He asked. Donââ¬â¢t go walking about like that ââ¬â youââ¬â¢ll get coldâ⬠(Gilman 63). The fact provided in my view is that the husband doesnââ¬â¢t see the narrator as his wife, but as a child. As time would go it would seem like the narrator would have resentment towards the husband, even though he is doing no harm such as ââ¬Å" he is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special directionâ⬠(Gilman 56). In the end, she would say ââ¬Å"Iââ¬â¢ve got out at last, said I, in spite of you and Jane. And Iââ¬â¢ve pulled off most of the paper, so you canââ¬â¢t put me back! â⬠(Gilman 70). The fact would assume that she was able to free herself from him and would rip the paper off in spite of her husband, which would show hate. In conclusion, in the two short stories, ââ¬Å"Story of an Hourâ⬠and ââ¬Å"The Yellow Wallpaperâ⬠, have two women in the same era enduring difficulties and challenges with spouses. Women wanting to have freedom, being treated as equals, developing or encountering an illness and the position in the household would lead to challenges and in can have an impact on their relationship. Chopin, K. ââ¬Å"The Story of an Hour. â⬠The Mercury Reader: A Custom Publication. Comp. M. Rubens. Toronto: Pearson Custom Publications, 2006. 1-4. Gilman, C. ââ¬Å"The Yellow Wallpaper. â⬠The Mercury Reader: A Custom Publication. Comp. M. Rubens. Toronto: Pearson Custom Publications, 2006. 54-70.
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