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Introduction
For many centuries women were deprived of their natural rights to control their life and even body and yet the struggle for equal rights is still continuing. At some point, feminism acquired a negative connotation that people today associate with the fanaticism and misandry. It is quite difficult to explain why the movement that released so many women from their invisible prisons is criticized by the modern society. A lot of women have fought to overcome discrimination, prejudice, and stereotyping of womanhood by changing the laws, altering the views of the society, and fighting back their oppressors. In the past, women were not only were banned from employment, voting, and playing any powerful roles in the life of society, but they were put in the total dependency on their husbands and family. Nowadays, in the Western society, it is possible to find a woman working full time and supporting her spouse as well as the entire family. At the same time, females are still considered to be inferior to men, as women do not receive the same amount of payment as their male counterparts. Violence against women did not cease to exist and many females still suffer from the values of the patriarchal society that afraid to embrace the gender equality.
Discussion
In order to recognize the significance of the feminism and gender equality, it is essential to analyze two remarkable works created by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Zora Neale Hurston, who highlighted the utter inequalities of women lives who are doomed to experience physical and verbal violence, neglect, discrimination, and refusal to control their lives. By writing “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “Sweat” accordingly, both Gilman and Hurston developed strong characters of women who have to face challenges. Both works explore the topic of a metaphorical imprisonment of women during the beginning of the 20th century when the feminist movement has just taken roots in the mind of Western society. Each work uses its own methods in revealing the inequalities encountered by the main heroines. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” Gilman shows a woman who suffers from the postnatal depression and misunderstanding of her state by her husband and other family members. Delia, the protagonist in “Sweat” lives in a physical prison, where her husband verbally and physically abuse her, disrespect her as a person, and continues to torture her. However, despite the controversial ending of both stories, both females manage to escape their prison by choice.
There are also radical differences in the characters’ backgrounds and socio-economic situations they live in. Delia is African-American woman living in the Deep South, where prejudice and utter racism predetermines her ability to occupy only the lowest level of the socio-economic cluster. A woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a representative of the higher class who is restricted of employment and can only preoccupy herself with the “traditional” duties of a woman. However, both protagonists suffer a similar problem, the inability to escape a metaphorical prison. One cannot change her life due to her status and strictly distinguish a difference between men and women, while the other has to fight physically and mentally not only with her husband but also with the segregated society. While the social, historical, and economic differences created distinctions in both works, the similarities are still striking. It is possible to see that Delia and Gilman’s woman try to break free by changing something in their life even using the scarce resources they are allowed to have, yet they are confronted by their husbands who serve as the classic representatives of the patriarchal society.
John from “The Yellow Wallpaper” does not understand the mental sufferings of his wife and simply pushes her to recover in order to end this “misunderstanding”. The protagonist claims, “John says if I don’t pick up faster, he shall send me to Weir Mitchell in the fall” (Gilman, 2011, p. 9). The protagonist claims she cries all the time but not in front of her husband or other family members for not to be considered insane. John is a typical representative of the man in the beginning of the 20th century, who is allowed to choose any occupation he wants, gets a wife and produce children, where the role of a wife is limited to nursing children and communicate with other females. During those days, men did not pay much attention to their wives and especially their mental state. In “Sweat” Sykes is a typical abusive husband, who fails to make money, uses physical abuse against her, and tends to maintain an affair. He exclaims, “well, you better quit gittin' me riled up, else they'll be totin' you out sooner than you expect” (Hurston, 1997, p. 27). Sykes got used that his wife obeys him and suffers physical abuse without expressing confrontation. However, the story begins with the opposition of Delia to Sykes by saying that she does not intend to suffer in silence or let him disrespect her.
It is quite clear that marriage in case of both women serves as the method of imprisonment, but not the way of simplifying women’s life. It is possible to encounter with the same illusions about marriage in the modern society as well, especially among people practicing “traditional” family values. Women were and still are told that marriage and family are the only goals of a female due to tradition and their nature. However, no one will tell that traditional values of marriage are based on patriarchal ideas and serve only in favor of a male. According to Wang (2012), room and domestic space explored by Gilman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” serve the indicator of political and social trends. In this case, the marriage in the work is depicted as a method of imprisonment, while the nursery serves as an incarceration camera for the protagonist. Even though these meanings are metaphorical, they illustrate the tendencies of the beginning of the 20th century where women began to pursue an escape from their miserable state. It is quite clear that the main heroine in “The Yellow Wallpapers” did not want and was not prepared for a child. She maybe did not want to get married. However, pushed to do her “duties”, she finds no other choice than refuse her duties and seek at least a mental escape from her unwanted situation.
While both women experience different situations, they are both treated improperly not only by their husbands but also by other people. The protagonist in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is perceived by her husband and other family members as a mental patient, someone defective, rather than a human being with her own personality and heart. In “Sweat” Sykes’ counterparts and neighbors are aware of the physical and moral abuse, but they do not help or even support Delia, as it was considered normal in that historical period. By researching Hurston’s works, Lupton (1982) acknowledged that the author put their female heroines in difficult situations but enabled them to act instinctively and rely only on their own during the battle with their oppressors. In both stories, society is depicted as an indifferent group that does not want to be involved in the uncomfortable situation due to the high prevalence of women abuse, like in “Sweat”, or in the reason of high society standards, as in the case of “The Yellow Wallpaper”. The topic of mental illness depicted by Gilman can still be an uncomfortable topic for the discussion, especially in the case when a mother does not express love or affection to her child. It is still considered to be controversial, because of a belief that a woman cannot have such feelings. Yet still, the inability of a male to love his child is considered to be more understandable.
It is easy to see that the role of bystanders is embodied in the support of the male’s side of the story. In Gilman’s work, John’s sister Jennie does not react to the protagonist’s demand to tear off the wallpaper, as she considers it nonsense. The heroine admits that Jennie is better with a child, which makes her wondering of what is wrong with her (Gilman, 2011). People around both Delia and a woman in Gilman’s work do not wish to engage into their sufferings even if they are asked to. While neither of authors gave a clear explanation of such indifference, it is possible to assume that people surrounding both women had to illustrate the society in the beginning of the 20th century and the typical situations experienced by both women. Being left alone with their problems and inability to escape their metaphorical prison, both women had to rely on their instincts and pursue the escape for all costs.
It is quite clear for the reader that the protagonist in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is not getting better and her mental state is deteriorating even though she pretends to be recovering. In “Sweat” Delia cannot physically oppose her husband, thus, her instincts are sharpening each day when a woman hears when her husband comes and goes and follows his daily routine. Both women had to overcome their fears to become free. While each of the protagonists does not create any specific escape plan, they know very well what they have to do to break free. While in a case of “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the author uses the symbolism of tearing down wallpapers, in “Sweat” Delia’s instincts allows her to survive a deadly blow of a snake brought by her husband. Both women serve as illustrations of how females, despite status, background, and race are not immune to imprisonment. Moreover, the stories show that this imprisonment is vetoed by the entire society. While it is quite difficult to perceive both stories as political manifests, each of them provides an insight into the state of women born a century before.
It is quite difficult to imagine the state of both heroines today, as modern women living in the West have gained more or less equal rights that let them choose an occupation, find support in other women, be socially and economically independent, and have the ability to escape an abusive partner. At the same time, “Sweat” and “The Yellow Wallpaper” shows that the abuse and inequality take their roots in the societal values and beliefs. Only a long and exhausting political and social transformation managed to provide an escape for females. Hurston (2010) admitted that the topics of escape in “Sweat” echo in other works of the author, as it was one way to break free of prejudice, oppression, and abuse in that society. Both heroines are the vivid examples of escaping both the implicit and explicit expectations imposed on women by their communities.
The final act in both works is very different and points to distinctive directions. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the protagonist managed to break free by saying, “I’ve got out at lastIn spite of you and Jane and I’ve pulled off most of the wallpaper, so you can’t put me back” (Gilman, 2011, p. 46). The main heroine managed to finish her work of tearing down wallpaper and she considers herself free even though her mental state has worsened and she deepened in her madness. At the same time, it is impossible to claim that the protagonist was broken by her oppressors or the circumstances. Gilman shows this act as the manifestation of escape even if it is only in the character’s mind (Green, 2003).
In “Sweat”, Delia managed to find a real escape when her husband was bitten by a rattlesnake, which initially was prepared for her death. When Delia observes her husband’s death, she experiences the last feeling of pity, “a surge of pity too strong to support bore her away from that eye that must could not, fail to see the tubs” (Hurston, 1997, p. 42). Delia leaves Sykes to die by explaining that the doctor was far away, yet still, it is quite clear that a woman saw the opportunity to break free even though she should have chosen to leave Sykes to die. When Delia comes back from church, she seems to be returning as a different person. Her singing “Jordan River” is symbolic of her breaking free. There is no feeling of empathy for Sykes, as she got what he deserved. By plotting to poison his wife, it is ironical that Sykes dies of his own hands. Hurston could not make her protagonist a killer due to Delia’s nature and kind heart, yet the author lets her heroine escape her biggest fears of being bitten by a snake, which releases her from pain.
The fate of both husbands is somewhat similar. In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, John loses consciousness due to inability to perceive the madness of his wife and Sykes dies due to his actions. Both men in the story cannot accept their wives, either despising like Sykes, or becoming estranged as in the case with John. In the result, they encounter with the indifference of the females by becoming incarcerated in their own prisons. While the actions of Sykes were far more brutal, he deserved the brutal ending; John had to experience the same feelings of being captive, which he could not stand. Both authors propose their protagonists some sort of revenge for their imprisonment. At the same time, the ending of “The Yellow Wallpaper” remains to be tragic, as the heroine managed to run away from her imaginary obstacles, not from her reality. The destiny of Delia is brighter even though she would have to live in the segregated society that does not provide women enough chances for maintaining a proper living.
Conclusion
It is quite clear that both Gilman and Hurston composed two strong feminist stories that emphasize the importance of inner will, external support, and societal understanding for women to be happy and were able to escape abuse and brutality. Being left alone with their mental challenges and ongoing oppression, they choose a getaway from their pain, misunderstanding, and inequality. While the protagonists do not start a conversation about their unequal position, they manage to act opposing to the circumstances and break finally free from the everyday misery. Society and men in the stories are shown as the united force that oppresses their women intentionally in order to put women in the cage and tame as wild animals. However, the inner energy of both protagonists and their love for freedom helped them to escape from the cell. Even though the stories cover different social cluster, it is possible to see that women were not free despite their status. They could not decide and choose, instead, these females were forced to serve their “natural duties” and be mothers, wives, and servants, but not equal individuals with their own preferences, desires, and choices.
References
Gilman, C. P. (2011). The Yellow Wallpaper. New York, NY: Bennison Books.
Green, S. (2003). Women's Encounters with the Mental Health Establishment: Escaping the Yellow Wallpaper. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 29(4), 1-17.
Hurston, L. A. (2010). Pioneering Social Scientist. In D. G. Plant (Ed.), The Inside Light: New Critical Essays on Zora Neale Hurston (pp. 15-23). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Hurston, Z. N. (1997). Sweat. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
Lupton, M. J. (1982). Zora Neale Hurston and the Survival of the Female. The Southern Literary Journal, 15(1), 45-58.
Wang, F. (2012). Trapped and Silenced: Claustrophobic Fear in the Yellow Wallpaper and the Handmaid's Tale. Studies in Literature and Language, 5(2), 10-19.
