Based on a social structure and society’s economy, as well as the culture of any individual group living there, gender inequality can take many various shapes. Even if there is talk about gender disparity, women often have the edge over males in identical circumstances. There are disputes about the sexual desire of men and women and how it is applied, and the use of physical strength of men on women. This study paper evaluates three texts: Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, and William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily. The books mentioned above are excellent examples of traditional feminist literature and provide a historical analysis of gender inequality. These three stories show many examples of gender inequality in this time period through the themes, dialogue, and setting.
Gender inequality manifests itself in various ways, including sexual violence and the exploitation of women. This has been demonstrated in the Trifles. In the story setting, the article shows how women are only left for tasks such as breeding and are only relegated to being breeders (Glaspell 3). It suggests that women are to be used and nothing more. They cannot hold positions and be followed. According to Samman, in her analysis of the Trifles, only women tend to worry about Trifles (Glaspell 5). Similarly, she notes that the book’s title has been used symbolically (Sammam 71). “Mr. Hale makes a general statement approved by the other men in the play accusing all women of worrying over trifles” (Sammam 71). Men in the story fail to notice these trifles because they are in women’s territory.
The area of female sexual desire is contentious, while the male species are given the authority to make decisions regarding women’s sexuality – a thing they know little to nothing about. Women are not expected to communicate their desires, much less have any at all (Puthiyedath 43). The right to talk about it has been taken over by patriarchal culture, and women no longer have the voice to express it. A woman with a sexual yearning is considered a temptress in patriarchal discourse. Similar voice theft occurs with the main characters in The Yellow Wallpaper, who, instead of having a chronicler, actually writes her narrative on the walls of her mental and physical prison with her body (Puthiyedath 45).
The articulation of a woman’s body and repression of her feminine voice. The heroine of The Yellow Wallpaper experiences a similar fate while being in a location that is both geographically and culturally distant, highlighting the inherent homogeneity of Unmuting Women’s Bodies.
Trifle’s play setting is meticulously described in detail to show Mrs. Wright’s kitchen, a degradation of the female character (Sammam 72). A position or place in space characterized by emotional investments or identifications constructed and given significance by social power relations is what is meant by the dramatic “place” (Sammam 71).
The play’s gender disparities are connected to this idea of space. The ladies in the kitchen pick up on Minnie’s prevalent emotions, which include helplessness, victimization, dread, despair, and loneliness. The domineering, manipulative spouse brings on these emotions. Since they “do not imagine a place be any joyful for John’s existing in it,” they are aware of the causes of the house’s sadness (Sammam 71). The women are compelled by their behavior to defend Mrs. Wright. On a farm, there is a ton of labor tremendous be done. Additionally, they comment on how the guys are acting, hinting that men’s hands are not necessarily as clean as they may be.
Male dominance and patriarchy over females clearly show gender inequality and the preference for men. Glaspell has utilized the theme of patriarchy in society to show gender inequality in his book Trifle. On the same note, a closer analysis of the book by Li demonstrates similar notions. Li remarks that the three female characters in the play—Minnie Foster, Mrs. Peters, and Mrs. Hales—have all experienced what it is like to be speechless in front of men and to have their worth diminished by them. Men dominate and have unrestricted freedom to express themselves across the play, while women are at the men’s mercy and denied a voice (Li 37).
In the court setting, it is evident that men’s words have unquestionable authority and that women must submit to their commands notwithstanding their will (Li 37). As the main suspect in the murder case, Minnie Foster ought to be allowed to represent herself in court. She is never visible on stage, though, throughout the whole performance. In a way, the male characters have been given much power, which in the real sense, belittles women.
Another manifestation of gender inequality is when girls in the same socioeconomic class receive less schooling and educational benefits than boys. This has been shown in Gilman’s Yellow Wallpaper by analyzing Puthiyedath’s comparative study of the exact text. A writer who is banned from writing by her spouse is Gilman’s main character (Puthiyedath 47). He makes the case that his wife, who has just given birth to their first kid, ought to have some time to herself. Reading and writing require excessive mental effort and slow down the healing process. The author knows that a period of forced idleness is worse for her mental health than a moment of moderate exercise (Puthiyedath 47).
Her spouse, on the other hand, dismisses her proposals out of hand. Her sadness is said to be caused by her inability to regulate her enthusiasm and imagination, like many feminine illnesses such as hysteria. The treatment he suggests is a rest cure.
By utilizing the theme of feminist rebellion, Yellow Wallpaper, in turn, expressed women’s desires to be free from the oppressors, in this case, the men, and try to balance the scale of gender inequality (Özyon 117). Özyon’s analysis of the female protagonist in Gilman’s Yellow Wallpaper shows it all. She is tied by an invisible but constantly present rope since, as a mother and a wife, she does not adhere to the norms of society. She is consequently referred to as “a madwoman in the attic,” as Özyon bluntly describes her (Özyon 117). The terms “help, meant, comfort, rest,” and “burden” give the idea that she is feeling somewhat guilty about not performing the tasks expected of her as a mother and a wife, even if she disobeys societal norms and seems to be rebelling against her husband and the standards of society as a whole.
The gender inequality in the family has also been outlined in the family setting, where the male siblings tend to believe they have power over their sisters and can decide on their behalf (Özyon 118). The analysis of Yellow Wallpaper shows that the narrator’s spouse is not the only patriarchal society symbol who helps to keep her confined to this isolated dwelling like a mad woman. Her brother, a doctor, makes the same diagnosis as John: she has a little hysterical inclination or a brief nervous depression. As a result of being encircled on all sides, she has nowhere to go, no one to turn to for assistance, and nobody who can relate to or comprehend what she needs and wants so much (Özyon 119). The only thing she accomplishes during her time behind bars is to take down the yellow wallpaper in her chamber, where she claims to have seen a lady figure trying to escape behind bars.
Gender inequality can also be seen in the dialogue in some of the stories. Analysis of Özyon in Gilman’s work of Yellow Wallpaper shows some of the conversations in which male patriarchy has manifested. Even John’s use of words while speaking to his wife reflects the language of patriarchy as a dominant force. “A wonderful little goose,” he calls her (Özyon 118). He implies that he does not consider her seriously because of her reduced status as a woman in that patriarchal system. Even his gestures and body language are oppressive, in addition to the phrases he employs to refer to her: “‘Better in body perhaps,’ I said, but I had to stop because he sat up straight and gave me such a hard, critical look that I was unable to continue” (Özyon 119).
As a result, in addition to his words, his actions make the protagonist feel like a helpless young girl in his presence. Even speaking about how she feels regarding her health is forbidden. Because of this, even while the narrative implies an indictment of the patriarchal system, it does not seem to be very useful in the context of the protagonists, or the woman character’s, revolt, which prevents this narrative from being referred to be an utterly feminist work.
The theme of classism has been used in Rose for Emily to show the gender inequality in the community. An in-depth analysis of Faulkner’s a Rose for Emily family and social setting offers the menace towards the female gender (Feng 85). Emily is a victim of social inequalities by nature, even though she profits from them in many ways, financially and socially. Members of the community view her exploration of free love as a shame and a negative influence on the youth and the younger ones because of her “inborn nobleness,” which her father uses to chase away everything and everyone who violates their customs (Feng 85). Even now, they can keep her from being with the person she loves. Therefore, as a staunch supporter of classism, Emily is forced to isolate herself in a locked house when the contemporary notions of equality arrive from the north to her community during the Civil War.
Emily has been used as a symbol of alienation in the community setting. At the same time, the townspeople do not believe Emily is one of them (Feng 86). Rather than being referred to as a typical Jefferson citizen at the commencement of the tale, she is called “a fallen monument,” “a tradition, a responsibility, and a concern” (Feng 86). She is not like a person. The community residents never consider Emily as one of themselves but rather as a duty “upon” the town (Feng 86).
They also view her as a source of rumors at the same time, however. Although she is frequently discussed, nobody is concerned about her. In reality, Emily is either highly regarded by the entire community or as an outsider open to criticism and whose death “would be the greatest thing” (Feng 86). Since nobody has ever been allowed inside Emily’s house, even while emitting lethal odors, it represents estrangement. As a result, Emily’s mansion serves as a fortress that keeps the outsider Emily off from the locals. To achieve this impossibly unachievable love, Emily devotes the rest of her life to the remote castle with Homer, which again exposes the harshness and depravity of the ancient south culture.
In conclusion, this research has outlined the significant gender inequalities manifested in the three works: Susan Glaspell’s Trifles, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, and William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily. This research has shown that the area of female sexual desire is contentious. Similarly, male dominance and patriarchy over females clearly show gender inequality and the preference for men. Another manifestation of gender inequality is when girls in the same socioeconomic class receive less schooling and educational benefits than boys. The gender inequality in the family has also been outlined in the family setting where the male siblings tend to believe they have power over their sisters and can decide on their behalf.
Works Cited
Feng, Shiying. “Fallen Monument: A Marxist Analysis of William Faulkner’s a Rose for Emily.” International Journal of Frontiers in Sociology, vol. 3, no. 3, 2021, pp. 85-87. Web.
Li, Huiqing. “The Awakening and Rebellion of the Voiceless: An Interpretation of Glaspell’s Trifles.” Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, vol. 5, no. 14, 2022, pp. 36-39. Web.
Özyon, A. “A journey of feminist rebellion through Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper and her novel Herland.” International Journal of Language Academy, vol. 8, no. 5, 2020, pp. 115-124. Web.
Puthiyedath, Sangeetha. “Unmuting Women’s Bodies: A comparative study of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper and Lalitambika Antharjanam’s ‘Revenge Goddess.’” Trivium, vol. 4, no. 2, 2020, pp. 42-55. Web.
Samman, Maram. “The Bird Imagery in Suzan Glaspell’s Trifles and Joseph Kramm is the Shrike: A Feminist Comparative Study.” Critical Space, vol. 6, no. 3, 2018, pp. 67-80. Web.
Glaspell, Hannah. Trifles. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014.