Kevin Mendoza

Prof. Rosen

Essay 1

 

Freedom

Being able to mentally express ones true ideas, thoughts and feelings, is when power can be fully exerted. Without the ability of self-expression of the imagination and reflection of ones being, then us women have no real power. Boundaries and equality exists only when one is mentally prepared to break out of the norm of being bound by authority figures.

Perseverance and fortitude is what a woman must show to break out of society’s shell. The notion of woman being gendered, as domestic and only fulfilling a family role is not an enforced notion, therefore there is no pressure in not following. There are no limitations on self-expression because it is part of our nature; therefore a woman as well as man should be able to induce in this mental action. The man can longer restrict a woman to conforming to his or societies deemed justifiable position, because both men and women are equal.

As a woman, our mind is a powerful and we are not to be viewed as if we were nothing but adults with childish minds. The willingness of woman’s perseverance supersedes any oppression that man and society places on us. We are delicate, but we shouldn’t be reckoned with! Expression is vital for a woman’s sanity and to have personal space for intuition for mental stability. Our husbands or those who feel they can think or decide for us should not bind us women.  Women are primitive therefore, our thoughts and ideas should be allowed in a household or any setting. We must not allow anybody to silence us from our ability to freedom of expression, because silencing ones rights to prompt mindsets causes mental discomfort. Countenance is important and cannot be prevented for it is ones right to reflect by mere gender division.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Justification

The word expression is very significant aspect of person self –preservation. In the short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the author, Gilman shows the possibility of a woman be stricken from the ability to think for herself can leave one to despair and disillusion. Gilman gives a portrayal of the main character, the narrator, the sequence by which her sanity is tested through the trials of being denied the exertion of mental freedom. Gilman perfects this notion through various times through the characters and the symbolism of the “wallpaper”.

The narrator shows the opposing behavior towards husband, who thinks that he knows what is best for when she says,

“If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression_ a slight hysterical tendency-what is one to do? … Personally I disagree with their ideas.”

This was the notion that the narrator is aware of authorities such as her husband trying to restrict her of voicing her thoughts. The character is only processing internally. There is indication of control on behalf of the husband, which is why woman must exert power to express ones true thoughts and feelings rather than conforming with others decisions.

The narrator questions the possibility of the methods implicated on her might not work or rather she feels that to stimulate or assess her condition will help when she states, “I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus-but john says the worst thing that I can do is think about my condition, and I confess it always makes me feel bad.” This quote goes to show that the deprivation of her properly expressing herself is starting to develop a mental discomfort. The husband, John, retrains the narrator from thinking. Writing in a journal is form of expression for the narrator, who begins to describe everything in the house. The author Gilman provokes the narrator throughout the story to develop a fascination and correlation with the yellow wallpaper in the room she is in. A quote that begins to identify with this analysis is when the narrator states, “There are things in that paper which nobody knows about me, or ever will.” This refers to the consequence of not being able to express yourself mentally and being controlled puts your sanity to the test. The narrator begins to question the wallpaper if as the wallpaper’s patterns are moving, causing a misconception of reality versus fantasy. It is portrayed by the character when stated, “ And it is like a woman stooping and creeping about behind that pattern. Confinement of this woman is diminishing her fortitude of overcoming this fantasy being seen as real.

Narrator mindset is being framed as if she were a child. Whenever she is explain or bring forth an issue with her husband, John, he continuously avoids that from happening for example, “Blessed her little heart!” said he with a big hug, “she shall be sick as she pleases! But now let’s improve the shining hours by going to sleep, and talk about it in the morning. “ The justifications here is that the woman’s feelings and others expressions are not being acknowledged. There is a gender division where the male, John, the husband, has total control and this is preventing mental development of the narrator.

The narrator develops the obsession with the wallpaper basically showing her becoming insane and is now lost with the pattern of the wallpaper. All her troubles have gone from internal to external.  The narrator as a woman is able to break from the authorities figures and exert her power of expressing herself when she states, “I’ve got out at last, “said I, “in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back.” She broke out from the norm, which was the wallpaper that symbolized the role of having to be mother, obliging to her marriage, and her husband. This shows that woman have the power to exert expression. The fortitude was twisted and perverse by the obsession of the wallpaper, which freed her to being her true self.

It is justifiable through the character of narrator in the story, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, shows the empowerment and potential of self-expression a women has. Fortitude and perseverance was shown along with the belief of forcing other elements to fully be acknowledging as a powerful women. The narrator proves to be a force to be reckoned with as she showed insane behaviors. This all leads to justifying the narrator as an powerful woman.