The late 19th and early 20th centuries have been characterized as a period of increasing change for women in terms of rights and freedom. As "Editor's Note: Contexts of Awakening" shows, women's acceptance of traditional feminine roles began to dissipate and women sought to become vocal participants within society. However, many women continue to suffer in a highly patriarchal society, where the man is the dominant figurehead in the household. Women and men largely lived in separate spheres of society, with women expected to live their lives in the home, thus safeguarding the well-being of their families. Kate Chopin's The Awakening and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" present similar stories about the plight of women in an oppressive and misogynistic society. In both literary works, the respective female protagonists feel suffocated by society's stifling expectations and both consciously and unconsciously rebel against the restrictive conventions of societal norms by rejecting the conventions associated with femininity. Ultimately, both characters tragically break free from the societal limitations imposed on them by leaving the conscious world, via suicide in The Awakening and madness in "The Yellow Wallpaper." Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay At the time of Kate Chopin's The Awakening, many women's role limitations prevented them from exploring their independence outside the home. As seen in Louisiana, most married women were the legal property of their husbands, and "the Napoleonic Code remained the basis of state law governing the marriage contract" (Editor's Note 119). Justice Bradley further states in Bradwell v. Illinois that “the primordial destiny and mission of woman is to fulfill the noble and benevolent functions of wife and mother. This is the law of the Creator” (WWL 77). Her opinion is a direct testimony to the universally accepted truth of the time: women should only assume roles in the domestic sphere of society. However, while societal expectations and conventions force a married woman to subvert her own needs for the benefit of those of her husband and children, protagonist Edna Pontellier is unwilling to suppress her personal desires for the benefit of her family and instead chooses his own personal desires. development and autonomy. As Edna begins "to become aware of her position in the universe as a human being and to recognize her relationships as an individual to the world within and around her" (Chopin 14), she challenges the stereotypes of a submissive and dutiful housewife, and rebels. against the cultural demands of submission expected of her. Her deviation from societal norms is evidenced in her choice to leave the home she shares with her husband Léonce Pontellier to move into a smaller loft of her choosing, as well as in her choice to openly pursue a relationship sexual with Alcee Arobin and a romantic relationship. relationship with Robert Lebrun. The culmination of Edna's rebellion against society's conventions occurs when she experiences her sexual awakening through Alcee Arobin. Edna's first interactions with Alcee bring her a feeling of elation and liberation, as evidenced by her description of her kiss with Alcee as "a flaming torch that ignited desire" (Chopin 80) that left her with "a overwhelming feeling of irresponsibility” (Chopin80). ). Later, by willingly choosing to pursue Alcee's sexual advances, Edna risks her reputation as a woman in society and is portrayed as a character with sexual desires, making her an equal counterpart to Alcee in their relationship. By having equal responsibility for the actions of her relationship with Alcee, Edna is no longer seen as the weaker and more submissive gender, and thus defies the set of rules prescribed by society about how a woman should behave. include. The conflict between Edna's desires for financial, artistic, and social independence and her lack of desire to meet societal ideals that require her to care for her children is further exacerbated by the gender stereotypes imposed on her. the world in which she lives. As Léonce Pontellier describes: “If it wasn’t a mother’s role to take care of her children, whose role is it? » (Chopin 7). Her husband's expectations of her, which parallel society's expectations of her, directly contribute to Edna's feelings of confinement and limitation. Edna is expected to put her family above all else and sacrifice herself to belong to her husband and children, thus making her a person destined to serve others. This notion is supported by Dorothea Dix, who proposes that "the principal and most important among these oppressors [of women] are children. In her desire to be a good mother and to do all she can for the well-being of her child, the average mother allows herself to be transformed into a martyr before she realizes it” (WWL 149). Edna, however, is unwilling to make the sacrifices expected of her towards her family and instead chooses to pursue her own personal pleasures by moving into her own place, taking up painting and pursuing her own sexual relations. Regardless, the looming presence of societal pressures continues to haunt Edna. Despite experiencing joy and liberation following her interactions with Alcee, Edna still faces the fact that society prohibits her from deriving true happiness from her sexual relationships. As a married woman and mother, Edna is primarily connected to her husband and children. Additionally, Edna soon recognizes that while her sexual relationships may bring her happiness in the moment, they are ultimately tied to the ongoing reality of motherhood, to a sense of slavery to family. Edna realizes that she is unable to meet society's expectations of a devoted wife and mother due to their very restrictive nature, and decides that although her husband and children were a part of her life, they “did not need to think that they could possess her, body and soul” (Chopin 109), and decided that “she would never sacrifice herself for her children (Chopin 108). Tragically, the only way Edna can reconcile her true desire for existence as an individual is through suicide. A similar sense of female oppression is seen in the context of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper", where others, particularly the narrator's husband, fail to treat the narrator as an individual at the time Victorian. In a world where men are the dominant sex, the narrator is extremely patronized by her husband John, and her individual identity is suppressed because of her actions. The narrator's passing remarks such as "John laughs at me, of course, but that is expected in marriage" (Gilman 1598) and "he is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me move without special direction (Gilman 1599) detail the stifling nature of the narrator's relationship with her husband and reveal how the narrator blindly complies with her husband's wishes. She later reveals that.