TOPICAL/HISTORICAL Critique
Last Name 1
Student Name
Professor Westrick
English Composition II
22 September 2019
Professor Westrick
English Composition II
22 September 2019
Indirect Response to "The Yellow Wallpaper"
"The Yellow Wallpaper,” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1899, is a gothic short story that’s played out through the unique narration of a mother drawn to insanity. Though
despite the harsh nature of this short story, it was subject to much acclaim and popularity as more readers created their own interpretations of the text’s message. Personally, I believe that by
analyzing the mental deterioration of the main character in "The Yellow Wallpaper," it can reasonably be concluded that a change in environment and isolation has a significant impact
on emotions and behavior, similar to the characters in Lord of the Flies. This contrast in savage behavior is used as a tool by Gilman and Golding to comment on society through the
uncharacteristic actions of the characters as they choose to turn against their communities as well as their own morals.
Through extensive research, I have established a clear parallel between Gilman and the woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper.” In fact, Gilman highlights many different aspects of the
narrator in order to distinguish herself in the context of the story. In Gilman’s life, she had not yet composed any works of literature until after the birth of her daughter; similarly, the
woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” had not experienced any hiccups in her mental state until after her baby was born. It seems as if the narrator’s downward spiral to insanity mirrors that
of Gilman in her adult life, and some might even say that “The Yellow Wallpaper” was a cry for help from Gilman.
The vivid images imbedded into the story such as the wallpaper that “dwells in [her] mind” and the “immovable bed” all contribute to the notion that Gilman is eternally stuck; she
feels oppressed by society and especially her by her husband (477). Although the aspect of this comparison that proves most insightful is that Gilman was a women’s rights advocate.
After leaving her husband, Gilman devoted much of her life to helping other women establish social independence as well as financial independence, which was very uncommon for women
of this era), from men.
In another work of literature, Lord of the Flies, Golding takes a similar approach as Gilman to comment on society. The historical context of Lord of the Flies provides many
important clues as to what the author’s purpose was. By reflecting on the emotional tolls taken by Americans in 1948, the date of publication, I believe that Golding’s portrayal of barbaric
human nature is a direct response to the atrocities of World War II. Where Gilman called for equality among women and men, Golding called for equality among humanity as a whole. He
states that among the boys, “maybe there is a beast…What I mean is, maybe it's only us” (Golding 126). This quote is a direct reflection on how human nature drives us all against one
another, in spite of our hope of one common goal, survival.
Concerning their strategies to effectively address the problems within society, Gilman and Golding both make extensive use of environment and isolation. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator’s isolation in the room leads to a double-sided obsession and hate for the wallpaper. In her mind, a woman comes out in the wallpaper every night to “crawl” and “shake the pattern”; this marks the low point of the narrator’s mental health (Gilman 481). Her environment ultimately leads her to go insane with an obsession towards tearing up the wallpaper and eventually even killing her husband. Similarly, Golding creates an environment among a group of young boys where there are close to no ties to civilization. By isolating the select few, the boys turn a blind eye to civilization’s ideals of self-government and equality. The environment gives the boys not only a desire to kill, but also an obsession for unlimited power.
So one could conclude that because of her stylistic choices in her writing, Gilman paints a clear picture of women’s oppression among society. She also connects her personal life to the woman to elicit a greater empathetic response from her audience. And by comparing “The Yellow Wallpaper” to Lord of the Flies, it is easy to distinguish aspects of literature that authors utilize to establish commentary on society.
despite the harsh nature of this short story, it was subject to much acclaim and popularity as more readers created their own interpretations of the text’s message. Personally, I believe that by
analyzing the mental deterioration of the main character in "The Yellow Wallpaper," it can reasonably be concluded that a change in environment and isolation has a significant impact
on emotions and behavior, similar to the characters in Lord of the Flies. This contrast in savage behavior is used as a tool by Gilman and Golding to comment on society through the
uncharacteristic actions of the characters as they choose to turn against their communities as well as their own morals.
Through extensive research, I have established a clear parallel between Gilman and the woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper.” In fact, Gilman highlights many different aspects of the
narrator in order to distinguish herself in the context of the story. In Gilman’s life, she had not yet composed any works of literature until after the birth of her daughter; similarly, the
woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” had not experienced any hiccups in her mental state until after her baby was born. It seems as if the narrator’s downward spiral to insanity mirrors that
of Gilman in her adult life, and some might even say that “The Yellow Wallpaper” was a cry for help from Gilman.
The vivid images imbedded into the story such as the wallpaper that “dwells in [her] mind” and the “immovable bed” all contribute to the notion that Gilman is eternally stuck; she
feels oppressed by society and especially her by her husband (477). Although the aspect of this comparison that proves most insightful is that Gilman was a women’s rights advocate.
After leaving her husband, Gilman devoted much of her life to helping other women establish social independence as well as financial independence, which was very uncommon for women
of this era), from men.
In another work of literature, Lord of the Flies, Golding takes a similar approach as Gilman to comment on society. The historical context of Lord of the Flies provides many
important clues as to what the author’s purpose was. By reflecting on the emotional tolls taken by Americans in 1948, the date of publication, I believe that Golding’s portrayal of barbaric
human nature is a direct response to the atrocities of World War II. Where Gilman called for equality among women and men, Golding called for equality among humanity as a whole. He
states that among the boys, “maybe there is a beast…What I mean is, maybe it's only us” (Golding 126). This quote is a direct reflection on how human nature drives us all against one
another, in spite of our hope of one common goal, survival.
Concerning their strategies to effectively address the problems within society, Gilman and Golding both make extensive use of environment and isolation. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator’s isolation in the room leads to a double-sided obsession and hate for the wallpaper. In her mind, a woman comes out in the wallpaper every night to “crawl” and “shake the pattern”; this marks the low point of the narrator’s mental health (Gilman 481). Her environment ultimately leads her to go insane with an obsession towards tearing up the wallpaper and eventually even killing her husband. Similarly, Golding creates an environment among a group of young boys where there are close to no ties to civilization. By isolating the select few, the boys turn a blind eye to civilization’s ideals of self-government and equality. The environment gives the boys not only a desire to kill, but also an obsession for unlimited power.
So one could conclude that because of her stylistic choices in her writing, Gilman paints a clear picture of women’s oppression among society. She also connects her personal life to the woman to elicit a greater empathetic response from her audience. And by comparing “The Yellow Wallpaper” to Lord of the Flies, it is easy to distinguish aspects of literature that authors utilize to establish commentary on society.
Works Cited
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Ed. Edgar V. Roberts, Robert Zweig. 473-482. Print
Golding, William, and Stephen King. Lord of the Flies. Faber and Faber, 2011.
Golding, William, and Stephen King. Lord of the Flies. Faber and Faber, 2011.