European Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics Studies ISSN: 2559 - 7194 ISSN-L: 2501 - 7194 Available on-line at: www.oapub.org/lit doi: 10.5281/zenodo.1133739 Volume 1 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMAGE OF THE WOMAN IN THE REVOLT OF THE MOTHER “ND THE YELLOW WALLPAPER Anejda Rragamii PhD. Candidate, Department of English Language, Luigj Gurakuqi University of Shkoder, Albania Abstract: Many writers are focused on the theme of feminism to write their short stories or novels. In some of the short stories where feminism is the main theme, I would mention: The Story of an Hour, The Revolt of the Mother, A Respectable Woman, and The Yellow Wallpaper. These short stories highlight the role of women in the family and their relation with the other members. In this article, I want to focus on the role of women in marriage and their relation with the husband and the children in the short story written by Mary W. Freeman entitled The Revolt of the Mother and in The Yellow Wallpaper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I am going to make a comparison and contrast between the role of the woman in The Revolt of the Mother and in The Yellow Wallpaper by mentioning the role of women in marriage. There is a difference between the woman of the nineteenth century and the women of today. There are many aspects that are different and most of them have changed for better. One question to be made is whether the role of women in the marriage has changed for better or worst. This is a question that will receive an answer after studying and comparing the role of women in the society, the changes that she has undergone and the effects of these changes. Some of the changes can be considered as a progress of the society but some others can be considered as the loss of some moral issues. Keywords: The Revolt of the Mother, The Yellow Wallpaper, women, rights, strength of women Copyright © The Author(s). All Rights Reserved 105 Anejda Rragami AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMAGE OF THE WOMAN IN THE REVOLT OF THE MOTHER “ND THE YELLOW W“LLP“PER 1. Analysis of the Revolt of the Mother The Revolt of the Mother emphasizes the rebellion of women in order to take what belongs to them. In this story, the mother whose name is Sarah acts different from other women because she believes that she is doing the right thing. The reason why she acted so was because she had always had the dream to live in a decent house with her children. She did not obey to her husband when he said not to move into the other building. Her disobedience was noticed by all the people who live in that rural area and they all prejudged her for this action. It was her love for her children that gave her the strength to face to her husband and all the society. In the Revolt of the Mother, the main theme is the distinction of traditional gender roles. When Sarah at first accepts “doniram’s building of the barn shows the traditional belief that her duty is to follow her husband. She had been waiting for the house for 40 years because Adoniram had promised to her. Sarah shows herself brave and clever because she expresses her feelings to her husband but he refuses to talk about it. She does not mention this subject for the moment and waits until they build the barn. As soon as she has the opportunity, she moves in the new building with her children. Adoniram is the traditional male in that society. He was the head of the family and he was the only person to take decisions. He is not a communicative person and he does not want to discuss important matters with his wife. He symbolizes all men of that time and their position in the family and in the society. He is the father and all the other members should obey to him. He is an example for his son, with who he has a closer relation than his daughter. His son will be raised similar to his father and he will be superior to his wife and children. In this short story, we notice binary oppositions such as: male and female relation, individual and the society. The husband and wife do not have a very close relationship since they do not discuss with on another important issues of the family. They refer to each other without using their names but saying mother and father . The society plays an important role since it does not support the woman who did not obey to her husband. They judge her and consider her act as a revolt . In this situation, she is alone against that society who cannot understand her feelings. The society where she lives is a male dominant society and the duty of women was to obey to her husband for everything that he says. Sarah symbolizes the traditional role of women. She cleans her house, she cooks, she takes care for her children, especially for the daughter. In that period mother had to take more care for girls and fathers for boys. This was a kind of transmitted role from generation to generation. Sarah is the house wife with her duties and so will be her daughter when she gets married. She is a victim of that society who decides some rules that should not exist at European Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics Studies - Volume 1 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 106 Anejda Rragami AN ANALYSIS OF THE IMAGE OF THE WOMAN IN THE REVOLT OF THE MOTHER “ND THE YELLOW W“LLP“PER all. She has got married to a hard man and could not disobey to him. Adoniram is the head of the family, so has been his father in his family and similar will be his son. The son has a closer relation with his father. Therefore, he is informed for the decisions that his father makes and he does not reveal the secret to his mother. The Revolt of Sarah can be related to the revolt of those women who struggled to win the right to vote. Susan ”. “nthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton worked a lot for women’s rights. They thought that they could not gain their right until they had the vote. When Susan B. Anthony voted in the 1872 presidential election, women in the United States did not have the right to vote and Anthony was arrested. She has a battle to give herself and other women the right to vote which should belong to them. 2. An Overview of the Yellow Wallpaper This short story is about a woman who started suffering from neurasthenia, two years after giving birth to her daughter. Jane, who is the narrator of the story is married to John and is dominated by him. He locks her in a room and she was not allowed to do anything but just rest. He especially forbids her from creative work of writing which was her passion. At first, the ugly wallpaper makes her nervous and she could not recover. Later on, she sees the figure of a woman in the wallpaper and creates a kind of relation with her. She considers the woman being imprisoned who tries with the strength of her heart to free herself. Jane finds herself in the woman of the wallpaper. They are both imprisoned by the dominant male and the society. In the end of the story, she creeps around the room and peels off the wallpaper. She thinks that feminists may have to hide in the shadows for now but they will rise up. The main character feels sad because she has been locked in that room just because this was the rest cure that her husband had given to her. She was so unhappy and she was not allowed to raise up her own child. Jane was prohibited to write because the doctor thought this would make her worst. The reality was completely the opposite because she continued writing in a secret way and she recovered. In this story, we notice the role of women in the late nineteenth century which was inside the domestic sphere. ii For viewing / downloading the full article, please access the following link: https://oapub.org/lit/index.php/EJLLL/article/view/19 ii Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "Why I wrote The Yellow Wallpaper", pg. 34 European Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics Studies - Volume 1 │ Issue 2 │ 2017 107