The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories

The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Short Stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a book truly ahead of it's time. From reading the stories it is apparent that Charlotte was an extreme feminist for the late 1800s. I found it interesting that a woman in the 1800s was so aware of the confinements imposed on women during that time. It was very clear to me that Charlotte Perkins Gilman was on a mission to educate as many woman as she could regarding the inequality of rights for women versus men. The main reason I found this book so intriguing was not because of her writing technique but her strong desire to help women realize that they were more capable than society gave them credit for. She was clearly trying to strengthen herself and other women. I appreciated her writing more for the books contribution to the empowerment of women. It was truly courageous of Charlotte to express as much as she did in her writings since it was uncommon for women to stand up for themselves and their rights. Charlottes writing was motivational and inspired many woman to eventually step out of their "limitations and boundaries" at the time and become more assertive about their rights.

This story beautifully presented an issue that even in this day and age remains rife. Gillmore expressed the suffocation and frustration that women feel in a male dominated world. There is no pretention in her tale and no arrogance, but only quiet rebellion against a system that places one genda above the other. It's a sinister story, heavy with metaphors and symbolism, yet there's a gentle sadness in her writing, which would remind one of a trapped animal who is close to surrendering to it's captivity. A fascinating story, and worth reading whether you agree with her views or not. Personally, her views seem extremely valid to me, as she adresses an issue that has always been present in society, and still remains today, in the new century.

The Yellow Wallpaper and other stories by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a wonderful compilation of feminist short stories. The first story, The Yellow Wallpaper reminds us, even today, that a woman who allows herself to become dominated to the point where her talents are suppresed can made herself a prisoner of her own creativity. The protagonist,much like Gilman, has a "nervous disorder." Unlike Gilman, who wrote her way out of the "disorder" the "wife" is not allowed to write and thus must sneak her writing, much like an alcoholic. Eventually, the wallpaper invades her space to the point of madness. Other stories point up other women's issues, such as Three Thanksgivings, in which the women save themselves via a business adventure, which is similar to Making a Change, in which a mother's anxiety and depression are alleviated by following her true creative urges and an older woman's losses are alleviated by her ability to nurture. The Cottagette was a light-hearted romp into the problems women create for themselves and how a too-good-to-be-true suitor helps out his beloved. Turned is an interesting story of what happens when a man makes a wrong move in the presence of a strong woman! Last but not least, Mr. Peebles Heart is an interesting story of a fiftyish shopkeeper. For $1.00, this book is a highly recommended find for those that enjoy feminist literature. I happen to be one of those so I have given it a "10."END

I first ran into Charlotte Perkins Gilman because of the title story in this collection, "The Yellow Wallpaper" which she wrote originally as a sort of cautionary tale--don't let this happen to you! It is an unsettling story which stays with the reader. A woman ordered to take the "rest cure" finally dives over the edge into insanity. Gilman's stories are most often didactic, that is, they have a clear message. She is a first rate story teller. These are fascinating tales about real human beings, like a well-traveled great aunt might have told about traveling across the plains in a covered wagon. Town gossips sit around sharing scandal with the new lady school teacher in "The Unnatural Mother." The reader is in on the irony almost immediately, that the mother in question is a heroine, a woman well ahead of her time in her child-raising practices and her willingness to sacrifice for the public good. To the locals she's plain unnatural. These stories are great fun... quirky, ironic, satirical. They were way ahead of their time politically and socially, promoting family relationships, childcare, and responsibility in a non-preachy and dramatic (and often funny) manner. Perhaps that's why they don't feel dated. Gilman might be happy with the way things have gone in the 20th century; her stories still speak to the modern reader.