Women’s Empowerment in Beloved and “The Yellow Wallpaper”
Women today are still facing the same types of oppression that they did in the nineteenth century. However, the oppression that women faced two centuries ago was by far worse than it is currently. “The Yellow Wallpaper” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the late nineteenth century speaks to women because of the oppression and unequal treatment the heroines received. The story also shows that women no matter race were oppressed. Beloved, written by Toni Morrison in the late twentieth century, is a neo slave narrative that discusses a woman who ran away from slavery. The novel’s present takes place soon after the thirteenth amendment was passed. As a piece of historical fiction, Beloved shares several themes such as women’s empowerment with “The Yellow Wallpaper” and displays the white male’s dominance over women and its detrimental impact on their mental state.
Jane, the protagonist in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” conveys to readers her oppression due to being a female. Since her husband will not let her express her ideas openly, writing in her diary is Jane’s only …show more content…
It is helpful to note that Morrison could go into more detail since present day readers find grotesque writing more socially acceptable than when “The Yellow Wallpaper” was written. Since Morrison is able to dive into more detail, readers gain a new understanding of the mental state of ex-slaves. The tone on page three of the novel conveys a sense of matter of fact, that Sethe’s life is just the way it is: “[Sethe’s two sons left] in the dead of winter…leaving …Sethe…and their little sister Denver, all by themselves” (Morrison 3). Against these odds of being left to fend for herself and her now shrunken family, the Morrison continues the novel in such a way that exemplifies women empowerment during the nineteenth