Sarah Foster, Sonia
Feldman, Ally Markovich
Women’s Suffrage
One of the most important reasons
why women were fighting for the right to vote was because it provided the sense
of independence. Throughout history, time and time again, men were shown as the
dominant sex. In most societies men were given all the immediate powers, and if
a woman wanted something done they’d have to go through a male to get what they
wanted. The idea of voting would potentially advance the woman’s place in
society and out them on equal levels with men. Being equal to men would allow
for more intelligible talk between the women citizens, which is another point
women used to gain the right to vote. If the right to vote allowed for the
women to associate with more intelligible matters, they could then teach their
children better. A smarter “next generation” is good for any society. If women
were constantly put into the role as “matron”, then letting women better
themselves educationally would allow them to be a better mother. Lastly, the
idea of voting gave “lee-way” to other rights that only belong to men, such as
the right to own property. Although there was an act past in Mississippi (1839)
that allowed for a woman to own property, that luxury was only allowed to a
married woman, and although this was a huge step of improvement there was still
a whole community of women that were still being oppressed.
All these aforementioned reasons
gave rise to various efforts to achieve equality in the polls and finally,
total gender equality. One early effort at legal equality occurred in 1839 when
Mississippi became the first state to grant women the right to hold property in
their own, but only with their husband’s permission. Later, at the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848,
300 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions. Prepared
by Elizabeth Stanton, it is a modification of the Declaration of Independence
and a plea for equality, to end discrimination against women. By drawing a
parallel between the legislative document upon which the United States
government is based, Stanton brings out the contradictory principles based on
the treatment of women. Stanton’s Declaration goes on to list the injuries man
has imposed upon woman. For instance, women are compelled to submit to laws,
“in the formation of which she had no voice.” By depriving women of liberty,
she has become property and man has made her, “if married, in the eye of the
law, civilly dead.” This perception of women as dead objects provides a
foundation for John’s treatment of his wife in “The Yellow Wallpaper.” If his
wife is considered “dead,” it is not difficult to understand why he does not
consider her opinion as valid, ignores her thoughts and actions, and patronizes
her. Ultimately, because women did not gain equality in suffrage that was
demanded by the Declaration of Sentiments for another 80 years, the Declaration
was not as effective as hoped.
Later, by 1900, every state has
passed legislation after New York’s Married Women’s Property Act of 1848,
granting married women some control over their property and earnings. By
allowing women to own property is a step away from viewing women as man’s
property. Finally, in 1920, the women’s suffrage movement achieved its initial
goal: the ratification of the 19th Amendment. The amendment reads:
“Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and in
every place subject to its jurisdiction. Congress shall have power to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation.” This major achievement for the
suffragists ended First Wave Feminism. It was the beginning of future
legislation, like the equal minimum wage laws established in 1938.
Amongst the multitude of important
dates included in the timeline our group read, one of the events seemed most
related to “The Yellow Wallpaper”. In 1908 the case Muller v. State of Oregon reached the U.S. Supreme Court. The
ruling upheld Oregon’s 10-hour workday for women. At first glance the law
appears to offer positively preferential treatment for women, but upon further
examination the reasons behind this law reveal themselves as directly
counterproductive to the goals of the women’s rights movement. The limited work
day is supposed to preserve women for their primary duty: having babies. If
women are overworked, overtired or simply lack the time, not only are
miscarriages more likely, but the children that are born would be more likely
to grow up under less than ideal circumstances. It was considered the women’s
duty to raise the children. She shouldn’t be overburdened with
“extracurricular” activities like having financial stability or independence.
The law also implies the inherent weakness of women, that they are unable to
maintain the same schedule or perform the same tasks as men. Finally, this
decision indicates that the Supreme Court supports treating women differently
under the law than men, an extremely dangerous precedent at a time when women
were fighting for equality.
This
event relates to The Yellow Wallpaper
is several ways. The most significant is probably the assumption of female
weakness. John continuously references the vulnerability of the narrator’s
mind. She is apt to “give way to such fancies” (34). His primary diagnosis for
her psychosis is “nervous weakness” (38). Most maddeningly, after “gather[ing]
me up in his arms”, John reads her a bed time story and frets that his “little
girl” with “get cold” (38-39). Evidence of this perceived weakness is present
in John’s use of the rest “cure”. The narrator is presumed to be so fragile and
so weak that John requests she naps as often as possible. He is glad when she
spends the entire day in bed, watching the wallpaper. The company of friends or
her child would be too stressful, too tiring.
The tale clearly enunciates the dangers of treating women in this manner. The
excessive “rest” only drives the narrator from an initially rather unstable
mental state to a complete psychotic breakdown and essential suicide.
I think that the fact the women were required to follow laws in which they had no say in forming is astonishing. Essentially, what does that say about our so-called "democratic" society.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I agree that the seemingly sympathetic shortening of women's work house asserted that they were "fragile and weak beings" and that their main priority was to reproduce and keep the home tidy. But I wonder if the shortening of hours also meant that women were paid less than men. I'm not sure if that is true, but if it is, then that is another injustice in itself.
This paternalistic tendency of men in deciding what's "best" for women was clearly common and seemed far more selfish than helpful. It falsely stereotypes women and suppresses them. Like Chelsey Gates, I felt annoyed and frustrated by the protagonist's husband, John, while reading "The Yellow Wallpaper." Like I mentioned earlier, I believe that the protagonist may have some mental issues in the beginning after giving birth, but those issues were induced and ultimately spiraled out of control due to the "rest cure" method. It is likely that a person's mind will imagine and wonder when put in isolation, confined to sleeping, and stripped of the simplest activities they enjoy most. So it is no wonder that the protagonist drove herself insane.
"The Yellow Wallpaper", which was written over 100 years ago, clearly illustrates the suffrage of women featured in this post. I agree with both Chelsey Gate's and Chelsea Bonner's opinion that John, the typical 19th century male, suppresses his wive and forces her to get better so that she may live up to his expectations. However, despite the fact that this was written over 100 years ago it saddens me to think that in some parts of the world the male is still dominant. Time and time again in the classroom we are informed of societies where women are suffering under the wrath of the dominant males. I think it is important to recognize that although "The Yellow Wallpaper" and this blog post illustrate the women's suffrage in the 19th century, today, in the modern world, there are still multiple "Johns" out there. Many women across the world are still suffering in paternalistic societies.
ReplyDeleteThe enforced 'bedrest' treatment that the narrator had to undergo in The Yellow Wallpaper can be seen as a metaphor to the stagnant state that men wanted their women to remain. It reminded me of the way many of the men in Afghanistan treat their women. The men claim that they are trying to maintain their women's honor and therefore, require them to wear the hajib and stay confined in the home. Like the narrator, they do not have a chose. I am outraged by the mind set that some people have. The mindset that they can dictate what is best for someone else based on gender, race, sexual orientation, etc. Sadly, I believe that this is human nature because it can be seen throughout history as one dominant group rules over another group.
ReplyDelete