A Deeper Look At William Faulkner s `` A Rose For Emily...

A deeper look at William Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily† and Charlotte Perkins Gilman â€Å"Yellow Wall Paper† shows that the authors illustrate the isolation, repression and confinement of women in a male dominated and sexist society during the nineteenth century. The stories show the enormous effect repression has on the emotional and mental health of the opposite sex. Naomi Nkealah states that in patriarchal cultures, power is vested in the hands of men and therefore women s needs are classed as secondary (Nkealah). The protagonists in the two short stories come from patriarchal societies where men are considered superior to women. Consequently, the women are clearly oppressed and unhappy leading to a mental decline. The authors of both stories use symbolism, imagery and tone to make the stories more meaningful and to help readers connect to the characters at a deeper level. However, â€Å"A Rose for Emily† is told from a third person’s limi ted perspective giving the reader an objective view of the characters and situation while â€Å"A Yellow Wall Paper† is told from the first person narrator point of view which garners empathy towards the protagonist. The different point of views give the stories completely different outlooks. The use of symbolism in the stories â€Å"A Rose for Emily â€Å"and â€Å"Yellow Wall Paper† is used to portray how the protagonists feel trapped in their lives becoming virtual prisoners in their own homes. It also illustrates their attempt to escape their trapped livesShow MoreRelatedThe Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1356 Words   |  6 Pageswithin the mind of the inhabitant. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892, depicts a young, unnamed woman who is suffering with post-partum depression. In this time period, the treatment of mental illness typically did more harm than good as electroshock therapy, and the rest cure were the classic treatments of choice. Similarly, William Faulkner, the author of â€Å"A Rose for Emily†, written in 1930, gives the reader an inside look upon an elderly woman experiencing mental