Feminism, Womanhood, and The Yellow Wallpaper -- Feminism Feminist Wom

Feminism, Womanhood, and The Yellow cover The straitlaced period in American history spawned a certain outlook of women that in umpteen ways has become a central part of gender myths unchanging alive today, although in a diluted way. In this essay, some characteristics of this view of women, often called The Cult of True Womanhood, provide be explored with telephone extension to Thomas R. Dew Dissertation on the Characteristic Differences Between the Sexes (1835). Some of the libber developments arising in contravention with this ideal will also be traced. Then, in accordance with my view that literature and culture is often interrelated, I will proceed by with an analysis of Charlotte Perkins Gilmans short story The Yellow Wallpaper as a critique of the gender roles of the prison term, commenting on its symbolism as well as its plot development. The 19th century was a time of male dominance more extreme than has been seen ever since. Dew portrays the woman as a weak and dependent creature that needs to be protect by the shield of woman, Man. Therefore, she is to be confined to a domain of her own Home. This reflects two of the cardinal characteristics of True Womanhood (as defined by men, of course), the ideal woman of this period. Those are submissiveness and domesticity. It was widely believed that women were created inferior to men, and should therefore be commanded within the domestic circle. Support to this view was to be effectuate in the Bible (which, not incidentally, is written by men), and although Dew is not so concerned with them, there were two other main characteristics of the perfect Victorian woman piety and purity, characteristics that delight and fascinate. Apart from subtle allusions much(prenominal) as ...at her shri... ...ted normal womanhood to her, she felt that she was the anomaly. In this psychological conflict she saw herself trapped behind bars of male rule, and her yearning for emancipation became destructive. Not so in real life, thankfully. the feminists succeeded in overthrowing the male regime. Or did they? The Cult of True Womanhood is, in some ways, still with us. workings Cited and Consulted Dew, Thomas R. Dissertation on the Characteristic Differences Between the Sexes (1835). Breidlid, Brgger et.al. American Culture. An Anthology of Civilization Texts (1996), pp. 102-103. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. Baym et.al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature vol.2, 4.ed., pp. 645-657. Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper?. Baym et.al. The Norton Anthology of American Literature vol.2, 4.ed.pp.657-658.