Alienation to the point of madness in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" and William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" forces both protagonists into madness. The narrator placed in isolation by her husband, Emily Grieson's overprotective father and the obsession of both women results in their madness. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman revolves around a woman's struggle within a patriarchal society. The story is set in the 1920s, when men considered themselves superior to women due to the role they played in society; protector and provider of women. This male dominance led the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” to loneliness and ultimately to a place of no return. Alienation is shown in terms of the setting: "The most beautiful place! It's quite lonely, well off the road, about three miles from the village." The house that the couple rents for three months represents the woman's physical imprisonment and symbolizes her isolation. Additionally, the daycare that John recommends his wife live in includes many limiting elements. Bars on the windows, a nailed-down bed and a gate at the top of the stairs suggest an unsafe place. The narrator's preference to live in the downstairs room is undermined by John's control over her. Additionally, John places his wife in an environment without communication, making her socially isolated. The protagonist is home alone most of the time while John is at work. She is not allowed to raise her child and Jennie, John's sister, is busy with her job. This causes loneliness and leaves the protagonist overwhelmed by her mental state. Since she has been advised the cure of rest, she spends most of her life amidst the male dominant society. They were written during a time when women were not considered as important as men. The narrator with the yellow wallpaper suffers from postnatal depression and her husband and brother, both doctors, have recommended the rest cure. Instead of curing her, it worsened her condition. The protagonist tried to convince her husband what he would prefer, but was unable to overcome the powerful authority figure. The narrator is prevented from working and writing, which leads to her obsession with yellow wallpaper and suffocates her in madness. Similarly, in “A Rose for Emily”, the protagonist is kept away from the outside world because her father makes her believe she is better than the inhabitants of the town. Her father keeps her in the house as his possession, which results in her obsession with Homer and madness.

Topic > Alienation to the point of madness in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" and William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" forces both protagonists into madness. The narrator placed in isolation by her husband, Emily Grieson's overprotective father and the obsession of both women results in their madness. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman revolves around a woman's struggle within a patriarchal society. The story is set in the 1920s, when men considered themselves superior to women due to the role they played in society; protector and provider of women. This male dominance led the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” to loneliness and ultimately to a place of no return. Alienation is shown in terms of the setting: "The most beautiful place! It's quite lonely, well off the road, about three miles from the village." The house that the couple rents for three months represents the woman's physical imprisonment and symbolizes her isolation. Additionally, the daycare that John recommends his wife live in includes many limiting elements. Bars on the windows, a nailed-down bed and a gate at the top of the stairs suggest an unsafe place. The narrator's preference to live in the downstairs room is undermined by John's control over her. Additionally, John places his wife in an environment without communication, making her socially isolated. The protagonist is home alone most of the time while John is at work. She is not allowed to raise her child and Jennie, John's sister, is busy with her job. This causes loneliness and leaves the protagonist overwhelmed by her mental state. Since she has been advised the cure of rest, she spends most of her life amidst the male dominant society. They were written during a time when women were not considered as important as men. The narrator with the yellow wallpaper suffers from postnatal depression and her husband and brother, both doctors, have recommended the rest cure. Instead of curing her, it worsened her condition. The protagonist tried to convince her husband what he would prefer, but was unable to overcome the powerful authority figure. The narrator is prevented from working and writing, which leads to her obsession with yellow wallpaper and suffocates her in madness. Similarly, in “A Rose for Emily”, the protagonist is kept away from the outside world because her father makes her believe she is better than the inhabitants of the town. Her father keeps her in the house as his possession, which results in her obsession with Homer and madness.