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

Feminism, char, and The Yellow wallpaper The niminy-piminy period in American history spawned a certain gaze of women that in many ways has become a central part of gender myths still alive today, although in a diluted way. In this essay, some characteristics of this view of women, often called The Cult of true up Womanhood, will be explored with reference to Thomas R. Dew Dissertation on the Characteristic Differences Between the Sexes (1835). Some of the feminist developments arising in conflict 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 time, commenting on its symbolism as well as its plot of land 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 dick that needs to be protected by the shield of woman, Man. Therefore, she is to be confined to a sphere 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 found 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 such as ...at her shri... ...ted normal womanhood to her, she felt that she was the anomaly. In this psychological conflict she motto herself trapped behind bars of male rule, and her yearning for freedom became destructive. Not so in real life, thankfully. the feminists succeed ed in overthrowing the male regime. Or did they? The Cult of True Womanhood is, in some ways, still with us. Works 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.