The Yellow Wallpaper

Within “The Yellow Wallpaper” there is a layer to the story that stretches beyond what is seen and told by the narrator. Through the words of the woman the audience learns that the relationship between her and John is not that of a typical marriage. The woman describes the relationship between her and John by saying that “he is very careful and loving,” (356) but later on mentions that she is “getting a little afraid of John” (361). These opposing ideas present the idea that Perkins Gilman is trying to convey to the reader the oppression of women during this time period. It is of question if she is truly sick or “perhaps that is one reasons why [she does] not get well faster” (355). The sickness that the woman has is most likely post partum depression, which people were unsure was even an illness at the time. This corresponds to the idea of women’s oppression because during this time society did not see the way women were treated as oppression or something that needed to be fixed. This comparison allows the audience to relate to this idea through metaphor.

Earlier in the semester Southworth brought up this similar idea in her presentation of the character Capitola. The reasoning that it was better for a girl to starve to death on the streets than dress like a boy in order to make a living puts into perspective the oppression of women. Capitola is put on trial for dressing as a boy and she describes her situation by stating that boys were able to get jobs, but “because I was a girl, I was not allowed to carry a gentleman’s parcel or black his boots” (182). These jobs were strictly prohibited for women during this time because equality was not seen as important.

Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer is another example in our reading where there is a child, who is not raised by his biological parents. Raised by Aunt Polly, Tom does not seem to have the manners and values instilled in him that were normal for a boy during this time. His Aunt Polly did not “have the heart to lash him,” but he was able to walk over her and get away with most of his mischief (315).

Although Aunt Polly’s parenting strategies are probably not the best, it is important to look closer at the foundation for parenting within 19th century literature. It has been said that parents make the child and if you do not discipline the child, the child will not be good. In the 19th century literature that we have read so far strangers or relatives have raised many of these children. It is said that Tom “was not the Model boy of the village,” but does a child need a biological parent to be raised “properly” (318).

Aunt Polly has a duty to her sister to raise Tom, but it seems as if she thinks her sister is watching her and would be disappointed if she were punishing Tom too much. Instead of constant harsh punishments Aunt Polly relies on her faith to change Tom. “Aunt Polly had a family worship” and continually talks about her faith throughout the story and her reliance upon God (341). It almost seemed as if Twain uses religion as a satirical device to show how some people get so wrapped up in religion and the church instead of their own beliefs and values.

Nancy Yare

The character of Nancy really stood out to me during the story because of the way she redefines girls in 19^th century literature. Nancy is part of the Yares family, who is described as having “peculiar low voices” and being “the poorest of the poor” (258). Nancy however, stands out from past girl characters that we had read so far. The widow took “little interest in the gaunt, silent Nancy,” but Nancy, we soon find out, is not a typical girl that makes toast for her mother (261).

Nancy turns all of the theories of what little girls were supposed to be like during this time on its head. Her mother says that “one day Nancy was dumb all day—not a word” and then goes to describe how Nancy was so quiet because she had an idea to build a house for her brothers (263). Nancy followed through with her idea though, and built a cabin in three days. Davis acknowledges what the reader’s reaction was probably like at this time and says, “yes, it seems impossible for a woman” (263).

The hard labor and endurance that Nancy demonstrated by building this house for her brothers shows the drive that women have during this time to be seen as equals. Davis uses Nancy as a “vessel” as well, in order to push women and girls during the 19^th century to be proactive, instead of sitting at home wondering what is going on with the war. Nancy’s idea was groundbreaking, which gives an example to the female audience that women can have good ideas and can even implement them. Capitola and Nancy both defy what authority tells them is proper and make a difference in their lives, rather than feel sorry for themselves.

Boys versus Girls

In the story of Ragged Dick, boyhood is clearly displayed as an opposing force to the stories that we have seen of girls and women of the 19th century. Dick is referred to as “our hero” throughout the story, which reinforces this new idea of what boys were supposed to be like at this time. However, under this façade of being a “hero” Dick represents more than just qualities of a boy.

Earlier in our study of children and childhood during the 19th century it was said that within children’s literature a common element is to teach a moral lesson. Ragged Dick seems to be doing the same thing as in the other stories by presenting the character and showing the one fatal flaw that the character has. It is said that, “our ragged hero wasn’t a model boy in all respects” and it goes on to talk about how he swears, he plays practical jokes and he liked to live extravagantly (255). Later on it also discusses how he enjoyed gambling and smoking, which were not acceptable for boys to be doing. However, the one major difference I see in this compared to the previous stories about little girls and their flaws are how the author deals with the flaws and how society views them.

For Ellen Montgomery she was taught how to hold back her feelings and take care of her mother. For Gerty she had to learn the ways from Mrs. Sullivan on how to be a lady and learn how to clean the house. For Capitola she was forced to fix her flaw of dressing as a boy and dress as a girl. But for Dick he seems to be able to feed one of his greatest flaws, extravagance. Dick is taken to get new clothes, and not just pants and a shirt, but down to every detail even a handkerchief. It seems as if this piece of children’s literature suggests that boys not only have flaws, but also can keep them. Dick’s “Cinderella” story ends with him getting the extravagant life he wanted.

The Redefined Mother/Daughter Relationship

The first half compared to the second half of the story feel like night and day, with the first half being light and the second half having a dark, eerie feeling. The passion for liberty that Sybil fought for and was extremely vocal about in the beginning of the story was lost when she was going insane. She began to be defeated by the confinements because “it is hard to live with no object to give zest to life” (239). She was being forced to go insane and was not allowed to know why, which adds a new dimension different from the stories we have read.

Not only did insanity affect Sybil’s outlook on life, but it also forced the audience to look at an uncomfortable issue head on. Alcott’s story differs from the previous stories we have read, because it does not just focus on the “typical” mother and daughter relationship with a father, who is rarely seen. Rather it focuses on the darker side of life, where Sybil is “surveyed as if [she] were a spectacle” (241). Sybil’s mother was technically there in the house with her, but neither knew that who the other one was. This distant relationship gives the reader a new understanding of a mother daughter relationship because there was a magnetic force that seemed to be drawing them to each other, but they were never given the opportunity to meet. Sybil had an “irresistible fascination” (240) with the upstairs room, which does not seem coincidental. This story gives a new perspective on the relationship by showing that a mother’s most important job might not always be to teach their daughters how to make perfect toast.

Wise Beyond Her Years

When reading The Hidden Hand, I was struck by Capitola’s realization of the limitations that are put on girls and women in general during this time period. Capitola is forced to starve on the streets. She tells the judge that it was “because I was a girl, was not allowed to carry a gentleman’s parcel or black his boots..” (182). Capitola goes on to describe that multitude of jobs that she was not permitted to do, due to her sex. This radiated with me because this thought was not recognized by many adults, much less children during this time. Within children’s literature a it has been said that a common theme is feminism. Capitola is demonstrating this idea by showing the inequalities that are prevalent and clearly pointing out how they are wrong. The inequalities were not just seen in little girls, but women as a whole at this time.

Capitola continues to push the envelope throughout the story, not just by cross-dressing, but by proving that just because she is a girl does not mean that she has to be scared and delicate. When she is shown her room at Old Hurricane’s house the maid makes it very clear that there is a trap door and that she might not want to stay in the room for that reason. Capitola instead is almost drawn the trap door, saying, “I think I should rather like it” (202). Unlike the typical “proper girl” at the time she does not need a man to hold her hand and comfort her. The trap door is another adventure that excites her. She explains her excitement when she says, “I have been in to much deadly peril from the living ever to fear the dead” (204). Even though she is young, her age does not represent her life experience.

Capitola is not only mature beyond her years, but is also ahead of her time. She questions the labor divisions for males and females by cross-dressing, proving that she is just as capable as the boys. Her overall attitude towards life and readiness to jump into anything whether it be changing sexes or playing with trap doors also questions who women are allowed to be and what they can contribute.

The Balance of Life

From the 19th century through today girls have struggled between being “ladylike” and showing their true emotions. As seen in the clip the 3rd grader, Anna, is no different from Gerty in this way, but the way they deal with these two extremes do differ.

Anna talks about balance in life, whether it is in school or yoga, balance is a necessity in her life because it helps her stay centered. Balance is something that Gerty has not yet discovered for herself, which causes her to go from two extremes depending on her circumstance. Gerty’s emotions about the abuse that she experienced when living with Nan Grant have been suppressed since she left and she has been encouraged to automatically leave that life and become a lady. This new train of thought slowly comes to her, but True sees glimpses of her old self come back, scaring him of who she is deep down. True says that, “it had never occurred to him to dread any difficulty in the management of the child” (116). Unlike Anna, Gerty does not have tools like yoga to help her express her hurt and anger towards Nan Grant. She lashes out her feelings by saying mean things about Nan Grant that are inappropriate, but that is the only way she is able to get her frustration out. I believe that this day in age girls are encouraged more to talk about their feelings and are given more outlets to discuss problems in order to work through them, which was definitely not available to Gerty.

Anna also talks about how you should want people to like you for who you are, which is another aspect of Gerty’s life that she struggles with. When first meeting Willie, Gerty tries to hide her face from him, but Willie took “her hands directly down from her face and holding them tight in his own, he fixed his eyes upon her…” (112). Willie did not make fun of her as she expected, which was a first in her life since she had been told she was ugly from the time she can remember. She was taught to not like herself, which is easy for girls to do this day in age as well, due to the constant pressure for girls to look a certain way and weight a certain amount. Even though Wilie accepts Gerty, she still feels insecure with herself, which is depicted when they are looking in the window at the rich family’s house. “She did not like the idea of being started at and talked about” (130) because people had done that her whole life. Scarred by the words of other people, Gerty is in constant shame of her looks and of who she is as a person.

I believe that if Gerty was on Amy Pholer’s TV show she would have been real with how she felt, but I do not think she would have had the maturity that Anna had. While Anna told us she does the lion pose when something is troubling her, I feel as if Gerty would throw one of her “tantrums” (145) instead.