Gothic and Feminist Elements of The Yellow Wallpaper -- Feminism Femin

black letter and feminist Elements of The Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper has been interpreted in umpteen elbow rooms over the years. Modernist critics have applied depth psychology to the level and written about the symbolism of sexual repression in the nursery bars, the chained-down bed, and the wallpaper. literary genre critics have discussed the tier as an example of supernatural gothic fiction, in which a ghost actually haunts the narrator. But most importantly, feminist critics (re)discovered the story in the 1970s and interpreted it as a critique of a society that subjugated women into the role of wife and mother and repressed them so much that all they could ever hope to be was an angel in the rear. Keeping in mind that The Yellow Wallpaper can be - and most often is - interpreted as a feminist school text in this way, we must also recognize that it holds its own in the Gothic genre. In fact, genus Eugenia Delamotte claims that women who just cant seem to get out of the house are the most basic subject of Gothic plots (207). The Gothic has always been and good-tempered is a genre that picks up on the concerns of its day. In the same way that postmodern Gothic (Don DeLillo and John Crowley, for example) concerns itself with late twentieth century technical issues, Gilmans Gothic of a century ago was very concerned with the prosecute of women in American society. When we recognize The Yellow Wallpaper as both(prenominal) a feminist treatise and a Gothic text, we can begin drafting conclusions that might not be obvious had we overlooked this dual genius of the story. Gilmans narrator - who appears to be suffering from postpartum depression - has been diagnosed by some(prenominal) male physicians, including her husband, and... ... Gothic and feminist. It is both classically Gothic and an expression of the assign Gilman would like to see women achieve in society. This duality is quite powerful. The Gothic tr ope of concealed objects is what enabled Gilman to best express her feminist views on the spot of women in her suffocating society. Her nameless narrator is representative of all American women who have lost their identity to oppressive and unfulfilling domestic roles. Works Cited Delamotte, Eugenia C. Male and Female Mysteries in The Yellow Wallpaper. Legacy. 5.1 (1988) 3-14. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Paula Kepos. 37. Detroit Gale, 1991. Golden, Catherine. The report of The Yellow Wallpaper A Double Palimpest. Studies in American Fiction. 17.2 (1989) 193-201. Rpt. in gip Story Criticism. David Segal. 13. Detroit Gale, 1993