Written by her husband a comparison between the yellow wallpaper and desirees baby PDF

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“Written by her husband” a comparison between The Yellow Wallpaper and Désirée’s Baby The yellow Wallpaper, 1892, and Désirée’s Baby, 1893, feature female protagonists within a male dominated marriage and society. Published with less than a year between them it is apparent that the authors are both writing from the same time-period in the United States, however, Désirée’s Baby is set 30 years earlier, before the American civil war. Due to this, certain themes can be seen such as a lack of trust, little female autonomy, physical and emotional isolation and confinement, female freedom and ambiguous endings. The women in these short stories have very different reactions to the similar situations they are in. When first reading The Yellow Wallpaper, John appears as a physician husband who cares deeply for his ailing wife “He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction” (Perkins Gillman, 13). However, upon further inspection the problems in their marriage become clear. The protagonist is subconsciously aware that John belittles her, stating that “John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage” (Perkins Gillman, 11), “I get unreasonably angry with John” …” I’m sure I never used to be so sensitive.” (Perkins Gillman, 13). She decides her sensitivity is “due to this nervous condition” (Perkins Gillman, 13) showing that she is not aware of how much John’s oppressive nature bothers her. In addition, John can be seen infantilising the protagonist. John “takes all care from” her (Perkins Gillman, 13) calls her “a blessed little goose” (Perkins Gillman, 15) and “little girl” (Perkins Gillman, 20) makes her “lie down for an hour after each meal” (Perkins Gillman, 23). Because of this, she has no say in how John views her emotions and opinions. He tells people that “she shall be as sick as she pleases” (Perkins Gillman, 21), completely disregarding how she feels and trivialising the situation, making her illness nothing more than

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female “hysteria or depression, conventional “women’s diseases” of the nineteenth century” (Treichler, 61). The narrator shows a lack of trust even in her most desperate moments, crying “at nothing” (Perkins Gillman, 17) “most of the time.” (Perkins Gillman, 17), she states “Of course I don’t when John is here” …” but when I am alone.” (Perkins Gillman, 17). She doesn’t trust John with her emotions, believing he wouldn’t understand her sadness even if she were to allow him to see. The narrator hides her writing, choosing to write “in spite of them” (Perkins Gillman, 12) but finds it exhausting “having to be so sly about it” (Perkins Gillman, 12) or face “heavy opposition” (Perkins Gillman, 12) for not adhering to ‘the rest cure’. The narrator lacks power in her marriage with John constantly asserting his domination. He tells her “she really is better” (Perkins Gillman, 21), “I am a doctor, dear, and I know” (Perkins Gillman, 21) and assures friends and relatives “there really is nothing the matter” …” but a temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency” (Perkins Gillman, 11). He prevents her to speaking up herself, by using his title as her physician in addition to his status as husband, he forces her to accept his opinion as truth disregarding how she disagrees. This is emphasised outside of marriage when her own brother, “a physician, of high standing” … “says the same thing” (Perkins Gillman, 12). The lack of body autonomy experienced by the protagonist is seen when the narrator “takes phosphates or phosphites – whichever it is” (Perkins Gillman, 12), she has no idea what medication she is taking, simply taking what she is told to. She repeats the phrase “And what can one do?” (Perkins Gillman, 11, 11, 12,) three times within the short story emphasising how she feels she has no choice or sway in matters. She even lacks choice when it comes to her own living standards. She doesn’t like her room and “wanted one downstairs” … “but John would not hear of it” (Perkins Gillman, 13). John’s word is final in all things including

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her desire to have the wallpaper changed, “He said that after the wall-paper was changed it would be the heavy bedstead, and then the barred windows and then that gate at the head of the stairs, and so on.” (Perkins Gillman, 15). The narrator concludes John must again be right, she “would not be so silly as to make him uncomfortable just for a whim” (Perkins Gillman, 15). It should also be noted that John has no trouble making her obviously uncomfortable. The protagonist is intellectually understimulated, isolated from everyone except for John and his sister, including her own baby. This has a negative effect on the narrators declining mental health “It is so discouraging not to have any advice and companionship” (Perkins Gillman, 15). She is “forbidden” from writing, her only way of intellectual stimulation, her only choice to “lie here on this great immovable bed” (Perkins Gillman, 18) and fixate on the following “that pointless pattern to some sort of conclusion.” (Perkins Gillman, 18). The narrator retains her identity despite her situation. From the narrator's point of view both John and his sister are working against her, so she writes in secret, “there comes John, I must put this away” (Perkins Gillman, 14) “There comes John’s sister” … “I must not let her find me writing” (Perkins Gillman, 16) refusing to have her only solace taken away from her lest she, as Perkins Gillman herself experienced as a result of the total rest cure “came so near the borderline of utter mental ruin that I could see over.” (Perkins Gillman, 7). The narrator asserts her independence through this action, “I MUST say what feel and think in some way” (Perkins Gillman, 19) making a conscious choice to defy John’s orders. She becomes increasingly more aware of her oppression and equates being well again, to regaining what freedom she once had “I wish I could get well faster” (Perkins Gillman, 16). As the narrator becomes engrossed in the pattern in the wallpaper she further understands her situation. She sees a “faint figure” (Perkins Gillman, 20) in the pattern at first shaking it, “as if she wanted to get out” (Perkins Gillman, 20). Looking closer, the woman appears

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“subdued”, “quiet” “by daylight” (Perkins Gillman, 22) kept still by the pattern. This appears as a self-reflection, as she “did not realize for a long time” (Perkins Gillman, 22) how she was confined and is kept still by her own physical and societal confinements. She looks at John differently now, aware of her situation, “He” …” pretended to be very loving and kind. As if I couldn’t see through him!”. (Perkins Gillman, 28). She never mentions her baby after she focuses on the wallpaper “it is lucky John kept me here after all, I can stand it so much easier than a baby you see” (Perkins Gillman, 20). After this she appears to lose all interest in her child, never writing about it again, seeming to leave it behind to gain her freedom. She finds a sense of purpose and energy within herself realising “life is very much more exciting now than it used to be.” …” I have something more to expect, to look forward to.” (Perkins Gillman, 23). She realises that there “are a great many women behind” (Perkins Gillman, 26) the wallpaper and she strives “to liberate the women trapped within the ancestral halls, women with whom she increasingly identifies.” (Treichler, 67). Upon reflection, she realises that not all the women in the wallpaper escape “Nobody could climb through that pattern – it strangles so; I think that is why it has so many heads” (Perkins Gillman, 26) this could be viewed as foreshadowing how the narrator herself gains freedom as she descends further into madness, finding freedom there instead of physically. As Treichler said “Once begun, liberation and identification are irreversible” (Treichler, 67). In Désirée’s Baby Désirée is introduced as a young girl, “little more than a baby herself” (Chopin, 1), showing she may be naïve and impressionable. She has an ambiguous background being “of the toddling age” when “Monsieur” “had found her” (Chopin, 1), too young to know where she came from. Her husband Armand “had fallen in love with her” … “the way that all the Aubigny’s fell in love as if struck by a pistol shot” (Chopin, 1). There is no mention of Désirée’s feelings towards Armand, if she even has any, she is swept along into the romance. Her adoptive father Monsieur Valmonde tells Armand to think of Désirée’s

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ambiguous background and the implications “Monsieur Valmonde grew practical and wanted things well considered: that is, the girl's obscure origin.” … “He was reminded that she was nameless.” (Chopin, 1), however, Armand brushes him off “What did it matter about a name when he could give her one” (Chopin, 1). The quick nature of their romance emphasised “then they were married” (Chopin, 1). Like John and the narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper, there are some problems in their marriage. Armand appears to be having an ‘affair’ with La Blanche. It was common for slave owners to have sex with their slaves in the deep south pre-civil war. Désirée states that “Armand heard” the baby crying “the other day as far away as La Blanche’s cabin” (Chopin, 2). Suggesting that he was possibly there for that reason when he heard his child cry. The imagery used to refer to Désirée differs in comparison with Armand. Désirée is presented as “beautiful and gentle, affectionate and sincere” (Chopin, 1), typical of a feminine young woman she is presented as demure and submissive. She is perceived as naïve looking at the colour of her child’s skin “I knew you would be astonished” …” at the way he has grown” (Chopin, 2) not realising her adoptive mother has noticed Désirée’s child is not white. A total contrast to this, Armand is presented with strong masculine imagery “Swept along like an avalanche, or prairie fire, or like anything that drives headlong over obstacles” (Chopin, 1) and is said to be “imperious and exacting”. Désirée’s emotions are linked to Armand, “Marriage” …” the birth of his son had softened” his” imperious and exacting nature greatly.” This made “Désirée so happy, for she loved him desperately. When he frowned she trembled, but loved him. When he smiled, she asked no greater blessing of God.” (Chopin, 2). Armand influences Désirée but she “does not question whether one man's moods should have such power over other people” (Peel, 236). Similarly,

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when Armand is in a negative mood “the very spirit of Satan seemed” to take hold of him” so is Désirée “was miserable enough to die” (Chopin, 2). Désirée doesn’t question things and seems to be unable make decisions for herself. When she realises her child is not white she asks Armand “what does it mean?” …” Tell me what it means!” (Chopin, 3), when he replies that it means she is not white, she never questions that it could be him who is mixed race, sending a letter to her adoptive mother asking her to “tell them it is not true” (Chopin, 3), again being incapable of doing so herself. At the end of her story, Désirée asks “shall I go, Armand?” … “Do you want me to go?” (Chopin, 3) attempting to gain the security of dependency back she has him decide, forcing her freedom upon her and again presenting “herself as a text to be written by her husband” (Minor). She realises, “he no longer loved her, because of the unconscious injury she has brought upon his home and his name.” (Chopin, 3). This highlights the prejudice Désirée faces as both a young woman and as someone believed to have ethnic heritage. She is ostracised for her child’s skin colour, even though her adoptive father reminded Armand that Désirée was a nameless foundling before he married her, meaning that he was always aware that it was possible she was mixed race but chose to ignore it because he found her attractive. He never considers that it could be him who is mixed race. Both novels use an ambiguous ending, the protagonists both dealing with their gained freedom very differently. Désirée “disappeared among the reeds and willows” …” along the banks of the deep, sluggish bayou; and she did not come back again.”. Désirée gains some independence by making a choice for herself, knowing she could not survive on her own, suicide. “When she finally acts, she pleads ineffectually with her husband, writes ineffectually to her mother, and then takes the most passive action possible – she disappears” (Peel, 236) taking her child with her, unlike the protagonist of The Yellow Wallpaper. Peel also states that Désirée’s disappearance could be ambiguous in itself “if she does not kill

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herself, she is saying in effect that life is worth living even if she is black and has lost Armand’s love. Indeed, by escaping she as freed herself from those who once projected their desires on her” (Peel, 223) Contrary to Désirée wanting to retain her life with Armand, the narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper is happy to be free “It is so pleasant” (Perkins Gillman, 30) “I’ve got out at last” … “in spite of you and Jane” (Perkins Gillman, 30), reversing the roles referring to John as “young man” (Perkins Gillman, 30) infantilizing him as he had been doing to her. While Désirée attempts to give back her gained freedom the narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper aims to keep it, telling John “you can’t put me back!” (Perkins Gillman, 31) The last sentence “Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every time” (Perkins Gillman, 31) shows the narrator in contrast to the typically feminine trait of fainting, still having to overcome patriarchal obstacles even after freedom. Bibliography Chopin, Kate. Désirée’s Baby. 1st ed. http://www.katechopin.org/pdfs/desirees-baby.pdf Web. 12 Dec. 2016. Miner, Madonne M. "Désirée's Baby by Kate Chopin, 1892." Reference Guide to Short Fiction. . Encyclopedia.com. 3 Dec. 2016 . Peel, Ellen. “Semiotic Subversion in ‘Désirée's Baby.’” American Literature, vol. 62, no. 2, 1990, pp. 223–237. www.jstor.org/stable/2926914. Perkins Gillman, Charlotte. The Yellow Wallpaper. 1st ed. Sweden: Wisehouse Classics, 2016. Print. Treichler, Paula A. “Escaping the Sentence: Diagnosis and Discourse in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’” Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, vol. 3, no. 1/2, 1984, pp. 61–77. www.jstor.org/stable/463825....