I. Introduction
a. Identify the work being criticized
The piece of literature being analyzed is “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
b. Present thesis – argument about the work
The short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman presents the perspective of an unnamed wife and mother suffering through postpartum depression while being confined to a room with yellow wallpaper. It explores female oppression in the late 19th century using examples of marriage, public perception of mental illnesses and its treatment methods, and limited freedom.
c. Preview your argument – what are the steps you will take to prove your argument
I will prove my argument by using Gilman’s personal experience with postpartum depression and her treatment with her husband and Dr. Mitchell. I will also use quotes directly from her work “The Yellow Wallpaper”. In addition, I will use historical evidence of the feminist movement and era of the late 1800s to early 1900s.
II. Short summary of the work
a. Does not need to be comprehensive – present only what the reader needs to know to understand your argument
“The Yellow Wallpaper” highlights the social prejudice of individuals in the late-nineteenth century. It presents a woman who is suffering from postpartum depression following the birth of her baby. Her husband and physician, John, diagnose her illness as “hysteria”. This follows with the treatment of how to cure mental illnesses, which was known as rest cure. John prescribed her with twenty-two hours of rest, two hours of mental stimulation, and must not leave the room or house under any conditions. As the narrator begins to spend all day in bed with a room covered in yellow wallpaper, her mental health begins to deteriorate and creates illusions of a woman inside the wallpaper struggling to break free of its confines. With the intention to release the woman, the narrator tears down the wallpaper and creeps around the room which is how John finds her and faints.
III. Your argument
Your argument will likely involve a number of sub-arguments –mini-theses (what each paragraph will be about) Choose to prove your larger argument true. This should be the bulk of the paper – Your argument about the work, not a summary.
The first paragraph will be about the unequal nature between how the narrator and John interact. It will include examples or direct quotes of the condescending jargon John uses to address his wife, as well as include how John undermines the narrator’s illness. This paragraph will highlight the limited amount of respect and freedom women of the late nineteenth century are given.
The next paragraph will highlight the lack of knowledge given and understood about mental health and break down the treatment plan that John prescribed his wife. This will include details about Gilman’s personal experience with her postpartum depression and the gender concerns that follow in the text.
The final body paragraph will be about the confines of marriage in the late nineteenth century. I will include symbolism and phrases that express the narrator’s attitude toward her relationship as well as include the perception of other characters such as Mary and Jennie about her role as a wife.
IV. Conclusion
a. Reflect on how you have proven your argument.
By using direct quotes, Gilman’s personal experiences as a woman facing oppression in marriage and mental health treatments, and historical evidence of this era, I can prove the gender concerns that plagued the nineteenth century. In addition, I will use symbolism and figurative language that “The Yellow Wallpaper” presents to provide a deeper meaning to the issue affecting the narrator.
b. Point out the importance of your argument (beyond it being a requirement for passing the class)
It is important to discuss the gender oppression in marriage, mental health, and the limited rights that are attached to it because it can prevent the violence against women and the lack of opportunities in education, health services, and economic mobility. Gilman was also a dominate role in the growing Feminist movement because as a female writer, she discussed these topics with unfiltered realism in her works like “Women and Economics” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”. Within a male-dominated society, it is important to raise awareness of the history that once was and continues to be affecting the United States.
c. Note potential avenues for additional research or analysis
Some potential avenues for additional analysis are Gilman’s work known as “Women and Economics” because it correlates the idea that the narrator was not given a name due to not needing a source of identity when one’s husband was the representation. However, through her other work, she presents the idea that this does not always have to be and gives the audience the opportunity to place themselves in a society without a name. In addition, it also gives the opportunity for more analysis to embrace women to have larger roles outside of the confines of a house.