Storm, Chrysanthemums, the Yellow Wallpaper

In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow WallPaper,” women are depicted as being controlled and dominated by their husbands. The husband has all of the authority and control in the marriage. Women are patronized and demeaned. In this story, the wife is “absolutely forbidden to “work””(207) by her husband, John. The woman’s feelings and opinions are ignored. Men were very ignorant to their wives feelings and interests. The stifling person in this story is John the husband. He treats his wife like she is a child throughout the story. He calls her “blessed little goose,” (209) “little girl,” (212), and says “bless her little heart.” (213) It also adds to the picture that John and the narrator’s brother are doctors and since they have this education, they are even more condescending especially towards the narrator’s mental condition.

In Kate Chopin’s, “The Storm,” the main female character, Calixta, has an affair. Calixta is portrayed as ambitious. She was “sewing furiously”(181) while not even noticing the approaching storm. She was also portrayed as being a very pretty lady. Her eyes had “melting quality” (182) and it was said that “she had lost nothing of her vivacity.” (182) I believe that the most important way that this author portrays women is that women have sexual desires too. This was ahead of the time period. This story shows that sex can be a pleasurable experience for women as well as men. I believe that the stifling agent in this story is society as a whole. Women were supposed to be pure and it was supposed to be that men were the only ones with sexual needs and desires. Sex was considered another duty for women but this author shows it differently. Another stifling agent is the boundaries of marriage. Society has the moral expectations of being faithful and Calixta didn’t adhere to these expectations.

While reading “A Jury of her Peers” by Susan Glaspell, I noticed how much women were expected to be good housekeepers and do their work in their homes. Men did not take notice or appreciate how much work it is to cook, clean, and all of the other household things. Henderson made a few rude comments about the housekeeping. He said, “Dirty towels! Not much of a housekeeper, would you say, ladies?” (302) This showed how men thought that was what a woman’s priority should be. Sheriff Peters was demeaning to women and all they have to be concerned with when, on page 301, he “broke into a laugh” and said “well, can you beat the women! Held for murder, and worrying about her preserves!” Women were also depicted as not very bright. Mr. Hale says “But would the women know a clue if they did come upon it?” (303) Mr. Hale seems to think it impossible that Minnie did not know who killed her husband, insinuating that she would certainly have to know, saying “Weren’t you sleepin’ in the bed with him?”(301) I believe the stifling agent in this story was