The Yellow Wallpaper
The division of humanity among social classes has been associated with several issues that impact the operation of societies. Several authors have considered developing the theme of social class and its problems in most of their works. One such author is Charlotte Perkins Gilman in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” who presented the challenges facing women in the upper social class. Although the story has been criticized for having concentrated on the challenges facing women in higher social classes, Gilman can be justified for the work because his work focuses on one among the several social classes. The theme of social class and its issues in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is developed among a series of other themes such as gender and poverty to develop the entire story.
Societal classes are defined according to the way society divides itself into groups defined by lifestyles. “The Yellow Wallpaper” focuses on a specific social class in which the narrator is born and raised. A social class involves rules and formalities that are followed by the members of the social class without much questioning (Pallotta, 2019). The narrator and her husband are believed to belong to the upper social class, and the roles of women are defined according to the rules of the class. The position of Gilman’s social class is identified with the ability of her rich paternal aunts to take care of her. Also, the introduction of Gilman into “rest cure” is seen as a practice of the wealthy because the procedure was expensive. Generally, “The Yellow Wallpaper” presents a social class that is paternal and expects the female gender to serve their male counterparts by staying at home. Moreover, the identification of social class in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is seen in the way it causes gender issues.
Gender roles are seen as some of the most common factors defining social classes. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is based on a social class that sees women having limited roles, although they go through a lot of challenges. The intensity of the challenges met by women is seen through the experience by Gilman. The social class presented by the author presents women as lesser members of the family who should find comfort staying at home. Men, on the other hand, are presented as holding high positions as physicians. Also, the solutions to problems facing women are found through means that leave the women feeling discriminated. For example, the topic, yellow wallpaper, comes from the room where Gilman is confined under the excuse that she needed the care to recover from her depression. Also, women are confined due to the ranking of their gender, and society has accepted the situation. Generally, the definition of social class brings out the issues that come out due to the formalities accepted in a particular class.
In sum, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is founded in a specific social class hence the development of the theme of social class and its issues in the entire story. The social class in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is paternal and expects the female gender to serve their male counterparts by staying at home. Generally, several issues, such as the challenges facing women, come out due to the division of the society along with social classes.
References
Gilman Perkins, C. (1892). The yellow wallpaper.
Pallotta, J. (2019). The Effect of Collective Psychology on the Mistreatment of Nineteenth- Century Women in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s” The Yellow Wallpaper”.