Throughout history, women were labeled with the stereotypes of being fundamental housewives. Woman feel inferior to the males in their lives because they were taught that men were stronger and more superior. When comparing the two short stories, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman published in 1892 and “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston published in 1926 it’s evident that the stories highlight the role of woman in abusive marriages. Both authors capture the general societal image of wives as being submissive to their husbands. Although the women were treated poorly, they went against the stereotypes in order survive their situations. Men were viewed as the ones in control; along these lines, they decided and treated their spouses anyway they desired. Today that would be considered sexist, however, during that period, it was somewhat acceptable.
In “The Yellow Wallpaper” we see a lady who struggles with mental illness and wishes to get help, yet her husband John, a physician, dismisses the thought of her being sick. John believes an ideal path for her health to improve is for her to stay inside. Gilman uses this story as an alternate version of what was occurring in her life. She says, “This wise man put me to bed and applied the rest cure, to which a still good physique responded so promptly that he concluded that there was nothing much the matter with me, and sent me home with solemn advice to ‘live as domestic a life as possible,’ to ‘have but two hours’ intelligent life a day, and ‘never to touch pen, brush or pencil again as long as I lived.” (Gilman, “Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper,” 1913) Gilman goes through similar situations as the narrator of the story. In the story, the narrator was forced to stay in her room where she gained interest in the wallpaper and started imagining women behind the paper. Her imagination could be a mere image of herself. She tries to free the lady in the wallpaper, which could also be viewed as her attempting to free herself from her husband.
The narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” challenges the common thought that a woman, especially a sick one, should not have much opportunity to think and voice her opinions. The narrator says, “But I must say what I feel and think in some way…” (Gilman 70) She maintained a journal that she would write her feelings in before John restricted her from utilizing it. “There comes, John… he hates to have me write a word.” says the narrator. (Gilman 66) She kept on writing when John was not around because she knows “John would think it absurd.” (Gilman 70)
Hurston’s “Sweat,” tells the story of an African-American woman, Delia, who works as a washwoman. Her husband, Sykes, on the other hand, relies solely on her for financial stability. He disrespects her by cheating on her, beating her, and embarrassing her around their town. Stereotypically, Delia provided for her husband and respected him although he had no respect and did not appreciate her in any way. He would call her a “…aggravating ni**er woman.” (Hurston 140) He is adulterous, who takes Delia’s hard working money, and spends it on his mistress Bertha, but Delia knew that “…sometime or ruther, Sykes, like everybody else, is gointer reap his sowing.” (Hurston. 141)
Delia was portrayed as the Protagonist and a woman of weakness who later gains the strength to stand up to her abusive husband. One day Sykes, her husband brought home a rattlesnake. Delia feared snakes and asked him to rid of it, and he did not. The snake ended up attacking him, and at that moment Delia held power over him. The only one person could save him, and that was her. He continuously screamed her name, “Delia, is dat you Ah heah?” (Hurston 148) and she did not help him.
Good versus evil plays a significant role in the development of Delia and Sykes, as characters
The white clothes that Delia washes are a symbol of Delia’s character, as being pure and having a humble spirit through all of Sykes emotional torment. The snake and whip are symbols in the story that represent evil. A snake is recognized as evil religiously, because of the biblical story Adam and Eve, when Satan turns into a snake. There were two instances in the story when Sykes decides to scare Delia; the first instance is when he rubs the whip on Delia and makes her think its and real snake, the other instance is when Sykes decides to place a box outside the front door with a rattlesnake inside.
The narrator and Delia both suffered abuse from their husbands. They were seen as less than they are and were treated like they had no way of thinking and standing up for themselves. Both their husbands are controlling in their way and have their kind of authority. Sykes holds down his own by cheating on Delia to show her that he is capable of doing what he wants while she is working hard to put food I his stomach. He dominates her by shaming her and not belittling her. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” John holds power with his career. Him being a man and her husband already privileges him, but his career raises his authority to a whole new level. He treated her like she did not have a mind of her own. It is one thing to take her freedom away physically, but to prevent her freedom of thought is even worse.
These stories also differ in the portrayal of who had a superior role. In Gilman’s story, John is a doctor of high standing while the narrator depends on him. John uses his title to control her. He states, “Can you trust me as a physician when I tell you so?” (Gilman 71). She immediately obeys him. Hurston, on the other hand, reversed the gender roles by having Delia as a working woman who takes care of her husband. Delia says, “Ah been takin’ in washin’ fur fifteen years. Sweat, sweat…cry and sweat, pray and sweat!” (Hurston 140). Sykes still controlled Delia, but she had no other choice but to stay with him because of their marriage. Other people around town saw the treatment she received yet; no one helped her.
Both stories compare by focusing on the topic of women’s rights and feminism, but they also differ. The perspective in which they are told is both different. One of the most important pieces of a story is the point of view it is narrated. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is written in the first person point of view whereas, in “Sweat” the story is told in the third person perspective. The way a story is narrated helps the reader understand and connect with the characters. The role and perspective of each character can then create an advantage or disadvantage for the reader. Having Gilman’s story in the first person perspective benefits the readers by allowing them to connect and feel the emotions of the character. It also allows them to recognize what is going through the narrator’s mind and imagination. The disadvantage is that the narrator is an ill woman who tells the story in a biased manner, therefore, not allowing the readers to see any other perspective. The whole story could be just imagination yet no one, besides the author would know.
In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” unlike Delia, this woman was isolated with her thoughts that she is forced not to express. Her feelings build up we can’t tell whether she loves or hates John, but she fears him. Her feelings build up, and she throws it all in the wallpaper, the yellow object becomes her focus point and she ends up putting all her energy into the wallpaper and John is to blame.
Gilman showed the struggles of women for equality with the males in their lives. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” it is very evident that the narrator and her husband, John, have issues recognizing, or admitting the need for this equality and opportunity. Everyone ends up hurt in the end. Just like females are expected to subject to males, so males are willing to compromise for the better. Hurston uses a lot of symbols and images that allowed the readers to visualize the story. Her short story also revealed how no matter how much a person is in love with someone if the other person does not love them then, not even marital vows can hold an importance. This story shows that back then some men just did not care enough for their wives to help them take care of the home. Some may have felt as though they call all the shots and when things did not go their way then they get upset. However, it shows that no matter what everybody will one day have to reap what they sow.