Two pieces of literature can share many similarities, even if written by different authors. This is the case for A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Initially, a reader may not recognize how the stories are related to each other.
Upon closer inspection, one can notice definite resemblances between the two aforementioned short stories. The most distinct connection between William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily” and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” is the theme which speaks of the apparent subordination of women.
In A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner tells the story of Emily Grierson, a woman who is the center of attention for the townspeople of Jefferson. Throughout the story, they are fixated on her life, observing her every move as if she were under a microscope. Emily is a peculiar character due to her failed relationships with men and being sheltered by her father until his death. After his passing, she began a relationship with Homer Barron that was expected to lead to marriage. However, when she bought arsenic from the druggist, people thought she would commit suicide. Later on, Homer disappeared and Emily isolated herself from society until her death. Afterward, it was discovered that she had used arsenic to kill Homer and kept his corpse in a room where she slept with it for many years.
In The Yellow Wallpaper,” Charlotte Perkins Gilman tells the story of a woman, later identified as Jane, who spends time in a rented mansion with her husband. She is suffering from depression and was instructed to rest and refrain from writing (Gilman). The room she stays in has yellow wallpaper, and she gradually begins to see a creeping woman within it. The woman in the wallpaper appears imprisoned, so Jane helps her by peeling off the wallpaper. In the end, Jane removes all of the wallpaper and frees both herself and the woman (Gilman).
How do these two stories represent women as the subordinates of men? There are several elements to consider. To begin with, there is the specific portrayal of the two female characters. Emily was described in the story as a fallen monument,” and “a tradition, a duty and a care” (Faulkner). She is perceived as an idol (Knickerbocker), similar to a “carven torso of an idol in a niche, looking or not looking at us” (Faulkner). These descriptions imply that Emily was seen as an object rather than a person, rendering her less human than she really is. As for the townspeople, their perception of her was derived from the treatment of the most influential person in her life—her father.
Emily’s father dominated her life. The Grierson family held themselves in such high esteem that they thought they were superior to everyone else. Her father took that self-importance to heart and turned away all of Emily’s suitors. According to the narrator, none of the young men were quite good enough for Miss Emily” (Faulkner). There is another textual evidence of how controlling Emily’s father was. In the second section of the story, it states: “her father a spraddled silhouette in the foreground, his back to her and crutching a horsewhip” (Faulkner).
When her father died, she was in a state of denial. Her father’s hold on her life was so strong that his passing affected her immensely. She initially refused to bury him because “with nothing left, she would have to cling to that which had robbed her” (Faulkner). It was only upon his death that “she had become humanized” (Faulkner).
As for the protagonist in Gilman’s story, she is also dominated by a man – her husband John Wayne. He keeps her confined to a room and prevents her from doing anything, including writing. She is a prisoner in her own home and unable to act as she pleases. Although John may not be as strict as Emily’s father, his treatment of his wife is still demeaning. By treating her like an infant, he reduces her to a powerless state. For example, he carries her upstairs and reads to her as if she were incapable of doing it herself. He even refers to her as a little girl.” The narrator suggests that the protagonist cannot make decisions for herself; John hardly lets her stir without special direction. When the protagonist expresses dislike for the room she is staying in and prefers another one, John refuses to hear it. Lastly, he wants his wife to live for him instead of herself: “He said I was his darling and his comfort and all he had, and that I must take care of myself for his sake.”
The liberation of Gilman’s heroine came in the form of peeling wallpaper. She had seen a woman trapped within the wallpaper, sometimes more than one. The wallpaper woman appeared imprisoned by the pattern that resembled bars (Wayne). Like her, the protagonist was also confined to her rented space. The wallpaper symbolizes how women were limited and confined to domestic life during the 19th century (Wayne). The protagonist helps free the wallpaper woman from her prison, ultimately freeing herself in the process by removing herself from her own domestic prison. It is noteworthy that throughout most of the story, she remained nameless until she finished peeling off all of the wallpaper and reclaimed her identity as Jane.
In both stories, the home or house is presented as a prison. Both Emily and Jane are confined by it. Emily isolated herself from society after Homer’s disappearance. It is known that she chose to seclude herself due to the secret she had been hiding. However, it could also be because she unconsciously knew she belonged inside the house and nowhere else, due to the way her father raised her.
Jane, on the other hand, seems to have been raised by her husband as well. Rather than being treated as his wife, John acts like Jane is his daughter (Wayne). She is confined in their rented mansion and in his unequal treatment of her. As if contemplating about her relationship with her husband, Jane said: “I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus” (Gilman).
Another similarity between the two short stories is the concept of being watched. In Emily’s case, she was unaware of how closely she was being observed. However, Jane knew that something or someone was watching her. Emily was such a prominent figure in Jefferson that every detail about her life is discussed in the story’s narration. The narrator seemed to be the town’s eye, presenting events of her life as if witnessed by a bystander. She was such a controversial character in Jefferson that her death aroused curiosity among women. When an odor developed from her house and some had to sneak in to remedy it with lime, people felt sorry for her. Her relationship with Homer was also constantly monitored. When she bought arsenic, people speculated about her predicted suicide; throughout the story, townspeople were always watching events unfold in Emily’s life.
In Jane’s case, it wasn’t people but rather wallpaper that watched over her constantly. According to Jane herself: there is a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down” (Gilman). The woman on the wallpaper kept constant watch over Jane; she states: “Up and down and sideways they crawl, and those absurd unblinking eyes are everywhere” (Gilman).
The last similarity between the two short stories is the issue of insanity or mental instability. Both characters are marked by a certain psychological condition that makes them seem crazy. When Homer’s body was found in Emily’s house, it was described as having apparently lain in the attitude of embrace” (Faulkner). It is obvious that someone in their right mind would not sleep with a corpse. The narrator said that when Emily refused to acknowledge the death of her father, “we did not say she was crazy then” (Faulkner). This comment seems to suggest that after the corpse was found, the townspeople now consider her as crazy (Wayne). As for Jane, anyone who claims to have seen a woman creeping about in wallpaper would surely be labeled as insane. Someone who sees an inanimate object and claims it is moving would also be thought of as crazy. Jane’s character is indeed perceived as insane (Wayne).
It is important to point out that the men in their lives have contributed to their mental decline. Emily’s father sheltered her so much that she became incapable of developing genuine relationships with people. This is why when Homer came along, Emily made sure he would not leave her by killing him and keeping his body. Jane’s insanity was John’s fault as he imprisoned her in the house, treated her like a child, and made her do nothing.
A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman are two great pieces of literature. Both are short stories with deeper symbolism that may be missed upon first reading. Although the authors may not have intended it, these stories share more similarities than expected.
Works Cited
Faulkner, William’s short story A Rose for Emily” can be found on Ariyam.com. The story was published on April 7, 2008 and is available at http://www.ariyam.com/docs/lit/wf_rose.html.
Gilman, Charlotte’s The Yellow Wallpaper” is available at the College of Staten Island Library. The source was last accessed on April 7, 2008, and can be found at http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/wallpaper.html.
Knickerbocker, Eric. William Faulkner: The Faded Rose of Emily.” Mr. Renaissance. 15 March 2003. Retrieved on 7 April 2008 from http://www.mrrena.com/misc/emily.shtml.
Wayne, Teddy. “GradeSaver: The Yellow Wallpaper – Study Guide.” GradeSaver.com. 7 April 2008. http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/wallpaper/.
