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How Far Does Stetson Show the Narrator Is Gaining Freedom in Her Text "The Yellow Wallpaper

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Submitted By abeghi
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How far does Stetson show the narrator is gaining freedom in her text?

Stetson’s semi-autobiographical novella “The Yellow Wallpaper” can be largely argued weather Stetson’s narrator is gaining freedom, or is just being controlled further by the ‘mechanisms of patriarchy’. Despite the narrator trying to find ‘true equality’, Millett suggests ‘the attitude of [the] male character towards women [is] not so emancipated”. Stetson’s response towards freedom is very apparent to her, but it can be debated that a point exactly hasn’t been successful to her readers.
The ‘position of women’ is ‘largely ignored’ in the novella, this can be shown by ‘the attitude’ revealed by the ‘male character’ John. The narrator states that “If a physician of high standing and one’s own husband assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression…[I] am absolutely forbidden to “work” until I am well again. Personally, disagree with their ideas”. The word “personally” depicts that she herself disagrees with her own treatment; however, she has no power over her situation. The ‘denigrating, exploitative and repressive’ (Miller, 1891-1980) voices of her husband, family and medical establishments urge her to be passive and go on with her treatment. The word “forbidden” suggests that John is quite a dominating figure, as he disobeys of any alternative activity, besides her acquired task. She is required to be convicted on everything she wants to do, conversely, she need the exact opposite – activity and simulation. Stetson wrote this novella to change people’s minds in the 19th century, about the role of women in society. She wanted to illustrate how women’s lack of autonomy is detrimental to their mental, emotional, and even physical wellbeing. Hence, ‘the masculine gendering is supposed to evoke positive connotations’ (Bertens,H), in

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