Common Theme
Both in “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and in “The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck, a motif of imprisonment is present. The world of the heroine of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is limited to a room with yellow wallpaper, and Elisa’s world in Steinbeck’s story is limited to a ranch. However, Elisa has contact with the outside world – she can see the freedom she doesn’t have from talking to Tinker or watching fights (Steinbeck, 2014). Gilman’s heroine is completely isolated from the world and has no opportunity to communicate with anyone except her husband, John (Gilman, 2018).
Gender Power Dynamics
In both short stories, unequal power dynamics exist between a man and a woman, stemming from hierarchical gender stereotypes. Henry and John have the right to choose whether their wives will remain confined to the ranch or a room. Neither the heroine of “The Yellow Wallpaper” nor Elisa has the freedom to choose a life path that men have.
However, in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” a woman does not struggle with unequal power dynamics, and hierarchical gender stereotypes are demonstrated as having strengthened so much that they cannot be erased (Gilman, 2018). In “The Chrysanthemums,” Elisa enjoys some freedoms that men typically do not, such as wearing men’s clothes or attending fights, which suggests the temporary nature of gender stereotypes and the possibility of their eventual destruction (Steinbeck, 2014).
Endings
I interpret the ending of “The Chrysanthemums” as a scene that a sequel could follow. Elisa begins to cry inconsolably, and perhaps it seems to her that her life is over (Steinbeck, 2014). However, she already has more freedoms than some women of her time. Therefore, the ending described by Steinbeck is not final. The road on which Henry and Elisa are driving continues, and their car does not stop (Steinbeck, 2014). I interpret the road as a symbol of the movement and the path that Elisa will continue to overcome in the struggle for her rights and freedom.
Elisa’s ending can be compared with the ending of the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Gilman’s heroine is broken by imprisonment, and she becomes mentally unstable (Gilman, 2018). Similarly, at the end of “The Chrysanthemums,” the imprisonment in the gender role of the hostess, who does not have freedom, breaks Elisa, causing her premature aging and a decline in mental strength. She cries “like an old woman” even though she is only 35, and she is still young and full of energy (Steinbeck, 2014, p. 11). However, if the end of Gilman’s short story is unambiguous, then there is hope for a bright future in “The Chrysanthemums.” There is no way back from madness; however, Elisa, unlike Gilman’s heroine, can wipe away tears and continue to fight for her rights, as her sanity has not been fatally compromised.
References
Gilman, C. P (2018). The Yellow Wallpaper. Martino Fine Books.
Steinbeck, J. (2014). The Chrysanthemums. Penguin.