Compare and contrast characters that suffer from hysteria in The Yellow Wallpaper and The Bell Jar

It cannot be denied gender and society plays one of the biggest roles in the hysteria of the two characters. Both women aim to break out of the stereotypes of their times, although find it difficult to do this. In ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ we are introduced straight away to the narrator, and it is clear she is an intelligent, well-spoken and creative woman from her use of punctuation and descriptions. [1]In the 1890s, “The New Woman” concept took off, where woman started to aim for roles outside the home that used their intelligence. However, this was still looked down upon from men and other women, who believed a domestic housewife was the correct job for a lady. Women were seen to be ‘normal’ if they were passive and submissive while those who chose to move beyond those boundaries were seen as ‘abnormal’. It is possible the narrator’s hysteria stemmed from her being looked down upon and not being treated as an equal; it is certainly a reason her depression has sustained and not improved. The narrator states how her husband “laughs” (1997, p1) at her, but that “one expects that in marriage.” (1997, p1) John patronises her by laughing, making the narrator seem like a dependent child. This idea is further reinforced with Gilman’s choice to not give her narrator a name, possibly to dehumanise her and emphasise how women were thought of to be not needed. Women were subservient to men in the 1890s, however especially more so in marriage. Marriage may have connotations of love and families, but from a feminist view, for a woman marriage is a duty. The narrator seeks to challenge her husband and society around her by writing down her thoughts and feelings “in spite of them”; she has to be “sly” or is met with “heavy opposition.” (1997, p2) She has resorted to writing behind her husband’s back in order to express herself, as her skills are limited by those around her. She is seen as a fragile being without much use, but remains strong through fighting back against society, even if it’s only through her writing. Perhaps it is the desire for independence that the narrator strives for; Esther also is blocked from her own independence as her mother tries to involve herself in her life, which could lead both characters to a state of hysteria. 
Feminists may argue it could be possible the narrator’s illness stems from oppression in a patriarchal society, where she is suppressed by a male dominant (her husband), and finds herself getting “unreasonably angry” (1997, p2) with him. This reveals the fact Gilman’s narrator does not know why she becomes angry, and blames this “sensitive” (1997, p2) side on her “nervous condition” (1997, p2). Psychoanalysts may view this as a subconscious desire to argue back with her husband, and on a larger scale, the social order. [2]Freud’s idea of penis envy came about in the late 19^th century, where he assumed women were jealous they did not have a penis, and in turn became resentful towards men. In this case it may explain the narrator’s unexpected anger at her husband. [3]For Beverly Hume, Gilman’s story is a “complex record of a woman’s oppression”. This is evident throughout her entries, which are only written down and not communicated to anybody else; as the narrator knows others would disapprove. Furthermore, the narrator identifies strongly with the woman behind the wallpaper, as she too is trapped, like the narrator in society. The narrator states how she “ran to help her” (1997, p13) as she hopes for the figure to escape. At this point she does not seem to be aware the lady behind the paper is symbolic of her situation, and the oppression she has suffered through. By the end she has torn all the wallpaper down, possibly proving that nobody can keep her locked up and allowing her a sense of freedom, and the strength of her defiance. A feminist may view the act of “creeping” (1997, p15) over her husband as the narrator finally gaining power in society, and the beginnings of possible changes in the patriarchal system. However, if she has truly gained the power in her situation it could be argued that she no longer needs to creep, so one may wonder why the narrator feels she must continue to do so, and not stamp or run if she is truly free. Perhaps even though she has escaped her husband, she knows she still has to face others like him in the society outside of the wallpaper. Nevertheless, Gilman’s narrator proves herself to be the stronger gender and person in the situation, as she reverses the gender roles existing at the time, her becoming dominant while her husband takes on a weaker emasculated form by “fainting”(1997, p15), something which women would have been expected to do when suffering from hysteria. This gives a sense of accomplishment to the narrator and further proves she has the ability to be strong and beat her condition.