The Feminist Movement The Yellow Wallpaper And I Stand...

The women of America have been fighting for equality for generations. Today, more men and women alike are participation in the feminist movement than ever before. Activists are still fighting to close the wage gap and end unrealistic societal expectations, among combating many other issues that the female population still faces. Though the fight is not over yet, society has come a long way. The feminist movement first sparked in the late 1840’s. Women such as Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton served as trailblazers for the Women’s Suffrage movement. The early suffragettes set the stage for many more changes to come for American society (â€Å"United States Suffrage†). Among the women who did their part to gain equality were Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Tillie Olsen, authors of the short stories â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing.† These works both act as semi-autobiographical documentations of the effects of patriar chal society on women’s mental, emotional and physical health. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and â€Å"I Stand Here Ironing† were written more than sixty years apart, but in what ways do they relate? The narrators of both of these stories come from very different backgrounds, but despite their differing circumstances, they are both familiar with the oppression and hardship that women have faced throughout history. In order to first understand the connections between the two pieces of literature, it is necessary to know more about the women behind them.