"The Yellow Wallpaper" written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, was first published in 1892, and "The Story of an Hour" written by Kate Chopin, was written and first published under the title "The Dream of an Hour" in 1894. These two stories deal with the position of women in the late 1800's. This era is especially interesting because women were still treated as second-class citizens. These two stories had a lot in common and shared a lot of the same views about life of women governed by the laws of men. Aside that both husbands, Mr. Mallard from "The Story of an Hour" and John from "The Yellow Wallpaper" are very similar as they both have a very strong hold and control over their wives, they also are very different such as John demonstrates his dominance by talking down to his wife. This is demonstrated by the following quote: "What is it, little girl?" he said. "Don't go walking about like that " you'll get cold" "(Gilman 63) but in "The Story of an Hour ", there is a different type of male dominance as Mr. Mallard did not allow her to fulfill her dreams and aspirations. Although both men have a strong control over their wives, both men deeply care for and love their wives.
In "The Yellow Wallpaper " the narrator's husband controlled her both mentally and physically. Her husband, "a physician of high standing " (Gilman 55), has diagnosed her as having a "temporary nervous depression " a slight hysterical tendency " (Gilman 55). He does not allow her to have any sort of mental or physical stimulation. The narrator is forbidden to engage in normal social conversation; her physical isolation is in part designed to remove her from the possibility of over-stimulating intellectual discussion. She is forbidden to work and not even supposed to write. The narrator is keeping a journal, confiding to "dead paper " (Gilman 55) the unorthodox thoughts and perceptions she is reluctant to tell to a "living soul " (Gilman 55).
