The Opression Of Women In A Jury Of Her Peer And The Yellow Wallpaper

The plots of “The Yellow Wallpaper”, by Charlotte Gilman, and “A Juy of Her Peers”, by Susan Glaspell are of very different natures. In one, an emotionally disturbed woman is taken into a quiet house to heal, while in another, a woman accused of murdering her husband is charged. The stories have one thing in common: they both focus on how women are expected to behave by others. The story of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is about a lonely woman who becomes obsessed with her bedroom wallpaper because she has no contact with her husband. Minnie Foster, who is accused of murdering her husband neglectfully, is not introduced in “A Judge of Her Peers” because she is currently in jail. Instead, the story follows Mrs. Peters (the main character) and Mrs. Hale (the second protagonist), who stumble across Mrs. Foster’s love for her deceased pet. Although it may appear that Minnie Foster, the main character of “The Yellow Wall Paper”, and Mrs. Hale, the protagonist of “A Jury of Her Peers”, are treated in completely different ways by their friends, one woman is coddled while Minnie Foster is ignored. In reality, both stories show the loneliness and guilt of women who live apart from society.

Both Minnie Foster’s husband and the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” had different reasons for treating their wives. However, both women feel dispirited and alone. John, John’s husband, is a doctor who takes his wife to a distant home to cure her of temporary nervous depression and a “slight hysterical disorder” (74). He also tells her she can’t work (74) until she gets well again. John’s request is a sign of the chauvinistic tendencies that men have at the time. However, he believes his treatment will heal his wife. Minnie Foster is the controversial figure and accused murderer in “A Jury of Her Peers”, but she does not live in her home because her husband wants to help her. Minnie Foster’s house, like the one in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” is lonely. However, she is often found there working on her farm or housework, while her husband is at work. Mrs. Wright’s isolation is further illustrated by the description of Minnie Foster’s house being “lonesome”. John assures his wife that they avoid any human contact. He also asks her if she would mind allowing their cousins to visit. (Gilman at 78). It is easy to see how dangerous his husband feels about his wife’s relatives. In “A Jury of Her Peers”, Minnie and her two daughters discuss their husband. They call him “a hard man” (167). John is honest and believes that John is helping his wife. However, the narrator’s isolation still makes her feel depressed and lonely, as she admits to “cry at nothing, and cry most of the time,” (Gilman, 79) while in “A Jury of Her Peers” the women’s sympathy and their portrayal of Mr. Wright as “no company” to his wife suggests Mrs. Wright’s loneliness is a result of her husbands neglectfulness.Despite both women feeling unhappy and alone, they are still expected to maintain the attitudes and responsibilities of “the cult of domesticity” and feel guilty when they cannot live up to those expectations. At this time, women were expected be submissive to their husbands and to take care of all domestic duties. The expectation can be seen in the way the narrator writes in her journal, “John said the worst thing that I could do to my condition, which I admit makes it feel awful” (75). The narrator admits guilt for not following her husband’s orders. This shows that she is unable to be independent and has no opinion on matters relating to her health. Minnie Foster feels the need, however, to be a part of a different cult of domesticity. Minnie works hard to accomplish her domestic responsibilities. Mrs. Peters finds ruined fruit in Minnie’s cupboard and informs Mrs. Hale (Glaspell 159). The group found dirty washcloths in Minnie’s kitchen, prompting the sheriff (Mrs. Peters) to conclude that Minnie wasn’t a good housekeeper. Minnie is “worried” about her fruit when she is spending the night behind bars. This shows she feels guilty for failing to fulfill her domestic responsibilities. The story’s narrator “The Yellow Wallpaper” also focuses on her domestic responsibilities. She finally starts to be haunted in her room by the wallpaper. She tries to tell John her feelings, but he responds with a “sternly reproachful gaze” (Gilman. 82). He tells her to get better for “my sake and for our children’s sake” and then his wife “said not more” about the matter (82). John’s mention of their son causes the narrator to immediately stop talking. He also gives his wife a “reproachful glance” which demonstrates both her understanding of the importance and guilt of her mothering role and her responsibility as a housewife. Both Minnie and John Foster, the narrator and protagonist of “The Yellow Wallpaper”, are expected to be submissive, typical housewives, despite being unhappy and lonely.

Minnie Foster is more isolated than the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper”, but both women become unhealthy obsessions due to the lack of outside contact. The Yellow Wallpaper’s narrator is forbidden from seeing her husband and develops an odd relationship with the wallpaper in their bedroom. She admits she “watches it constantly” (83) and though she was initially afraid, she soon discovers she enjoys the space not because, but because of it (79). The story’s narrator’s feelings about wallpaper change indicate a new relationship. Minnie Foster is socially distant from her husband and neighbors, but she doesn’t feel isolated physically. Minnie’s lack of friends leads her to form a friendship that is very similar to the narrator with her wallpaper. Because it replaces human relationships, she has no friends. Similar to this, “The Yellow Wallpaper” shows how the narrator’s desperate need to find companionship drives her into believing that she can “see a women behind that design” (81) and then suddenly seeing her “outside all my windows” 85. John and her are set to leave the house on the evening she’s due. However, John is not there so she makes desperate attempts to find the woman. She writes in her journal that she pulled at wallpaper (86) to free her. The imagery shows them working together. This is clearly due to her lack of interaction with real people. Minnie Foster gets mad at her husband for killing her bird. Minnie Foster and her obsession with her bird, along with the surprising friendship the narrator discovered in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” are examples of how women deal with isolation.

It’s easier to understand the motivations of both the narrator and Minnie of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” when you compare them. Both women were from different backgrounds, with one being a loving wife and mother and the other lonely and ignored. However, they both lost their sanity after the stories ended. They may have been driven by their desperation to find friends and kill or commit murder because they didn’t live up to society’s expectations.