Abstract

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) was a distinguished American feminist as well as a famous novelist and socialist. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is her masterwork and it’s her semi-autobiography. Based on the stifling experience of a sensitive educated woman in her family, the short story reveals the oppression of women in a patriarchal society in which females are victimized by males.
This thesis analyzes the feminism in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “the yellow wallpaper” from the perspective of women and family, women’s profession and its writing techniques and narrative strategies to show how Gilman expresses the longings for freedom and independence of awakening women under patriarchy. Finally, advices are given for women to get more equality in the society.

Key Words:  Gilman  “The Yellow Wallpaper”  feminism

摘 要

夏洛特•吉尔曼(1860 - 1935)是一位杰出的美国女权主义者、小说家和社会主义者。《黄色的墙纸》是她的半自传体小说。小说以一位敏感的知识女性在父权制婚姻家庭里备受压抑的经历, 揭示了家庭这一囚笼对女性身心的摧残。在这部作品中,吉尔曼解构了一个女性被男性摧残的父权社会。
本文从女性和家庭、女性的职业和小说的写作技巧如叙事策略等三个方面对其进行女性主义解读, 以揭示在父权制社会中, 吉尔曼试图唤醒女性争取自由和独立意识的强烈愿望。最后,本文将提出让女性在社会中获得更多平等的建议。

关键词：夏洛特•吉尔曼 《黄色的墙纸》 女性主义

1 Introduction
Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a distinguished American feminist as well as a famous novelist and socialist. Besides, she is one of the major theorists and activists in the first-wave feminism in America. She came up with some famous ideas at that time’s press and magazine. For example, she said that women should be liberated from the complex housework, women should be independent on economy and women should not hook on to men (Davis, 2010). All these viewpoints seem so common nowadays, but hundreds of years ago, these ideas attacked the male chauvinism.