I’m not feeling well this morning so I am unable to come to class, but I thought I would post my questions anyway.
1. There are a lot of examples of people coming out in support of “The Yellow Wallpaper” after its publication because of their own similar experiences. Do you think she wrote the story with others in mind or only her own case?
2. Did Gilman really write this story from a feminist perspective? Obvious connections are drawn to a feminist interpretation, but in “Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper” it sounds like her motives were based more in her opposition to the practice of the “rest cure.”
After reading the material that was assigned for Wednesday's class, it's clear that Gilman wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" in order to bring the light the malpractice of the doctor, who's real name was used in the story. However, while I do believe Gilman wrote this story with her own experience in mind, I also feel as though she tried to make the main character universally relate-able by not giving her a clear name. By doing so, any woman, or man, could easily place themselves in the main character's predicament.
ReplyDeleteI know Gilman's story brought attention to how doctors treated patients with mental illnesses, but I don't know if that was her intention in writing "The Yellow Wallpaper." I think she may have written the story as her own personal therapy to help her process what she went through. It was an added benefit that she was able to help others who went through similar ordeals.
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