Both Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper are stories that explore the psychological state of the narrator. However, while Jane Eyre is a story of triumph over oppression, The Yellow Wallpaper is a story of descent into madness.
One of the key differences between the two stories is that Jane Eyre has a clear goal – to find love and happiness – while the narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper has no such goal. This lack of purpose leaves her feeling lost and adrift, which contributes to her mental decline.
Another difference is that Jane Eyre is able to confront her demons head-on, while the narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper is not. Jane Eyre’s strength allows her to break free from the constraints of her life, while the narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper is ultimately defeated by hers.
In the stories Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper, the primary characters are confronted with a variety of encounters with authority. Jane and the Narrator are the main characters who must deal with these authority figures, and an external as well as an internal connection is formed with those in power over them.
At various stages throughout the tales, Jane and the Narrator exhibit a distinct usage of power for their own benefit. Both women display an innovative use of power to assist themselves at various points in time. In terms of outward expression of emotions regarding their circumstances, Jane and the Narrator are initially identical in manner because they employ activities as well as words to do so.
Jane is direct in her encounters while the Narrator is more passive. However, both Jane and the Narrator are able to stand up for themselves when they need to. Another similarity between Jane and the Narrator is that they are both able to see beyond what is happening in the present and have a hope for the future.
Jane expresses this when she says, “I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will” (Bronte 135). The Narrator also shows this same quality when she talks about how she used to be “a comparatively normal person” (Gilman 683). Even though Jane and the Narrator start off their stories in different ways, they end up having more similarities than differences.
The Yellow Wallpaper and Jane Eyre are both about women who are struggling against the expectations of society. The women in both stories are expected to be submissive and obedient, and they are both forced into situations where they have no control. In Jane Eyre, Jane is sent to Lowood School after her aunt tries to starve her, and she is also left at Thornfield by Mr. Rochester when she refuses to marry him.
The Narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper is confined to a room by her husband John, who is a doctor, because he believes that she is suffering from a “nervous condition”. Both Jane and the Narrator are able to assert their independence in different ways. Jane escapes from Lowood School and Thornfield, and the Narrator starts to write down her thoughts about the wallpaper in her room.
The women in both stories are also able to find strength in themselves when they are facing difficult situations. Jane is able to confront Mr. Rochester and tell him that she will never be his slave, and the Narrator is able to break free from the restraints that John has put on her. These moments show that the women in these stories are not willing to give up without a fight. They have both been through a lot, but they continue to persevere.
Even though Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper are similar in some ways, they are also different. Jane is more outspoken than the Narrator, and she is not afraid to stand up for herself. The Narrator is more passive and allows John to control her. Jane is also able to see beyond what is happening in the present, while the Narrator is only able to focus on what is happening in her room.
Despite their differences, Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper both portray strong women who are fighting against the expectations of society. These women are determined to make their own choices and find their own identities. They are not willing to let anyone else control them, and they provide a powerful example for other women who are struggling against authority.
The dynamic, open communication Jane has with these people in her life is shared by them, but what differs is that Jane’s conversation is positive (she gets her feelings out into the open and is understood) while the Narrator never receives a hearing. The second similarity between Jane and the Narrator lies in their inner thoughts and feelings regarding authority figures. This viewpoint may be observed throughout the novel as we see both characters’ inner thoughts and sentiments, as well as their words and actions when authority figures are absent.
Jane Eyre, for the most part, is obedient to Mrs. Reed but as soon as she leaves Jane, Jane talks about how much she hates her. The Narrator is openly defiant to John and Jane; she writes that “he does not like me, and I do not like him” (251) and often talks back to John.
The third similarity between Jane Eyre and the Yellow Wallpaper is their reactions to being in an oppressive setting. Jane Eyre feels oppressed by Mrs. Reed and the Rochester household while the Narrator feels oppressed by John and Jane. In both cases, the women feel enclosed and suffocated by these oppressive environments with no way to escape. The fourth similarity between Jane Eyre and the Narrator is that they are both in a position where they are not able to get help. Jane Eyre is not able to get help from Mrs. Reed because she is always either gone or angry with Jane.
The Narrator is not able to get help from John and Jane because they do not listen to her and she is not allowed to leave the room. Lastly, both Jane Eyre and the Narrator find ways to cope with their situations. Jane Eyre finds ways to cope by communicating with the figures in her life, writing about her feelings, and daydreaming. The Narrator finds ways to cope by talking back to John and Jane, writing about her feelings, and looking at the wallpaper.
The Yellow Wallpaper and Jane Eyre are both novels that deal with the experience of being a woman in a society that does not listen to them. The two novels have similarities in the way that the women communicate with the figures in their lives, their inner attitudes towards these figures, and their reactions to being in an oppressive setting. However, Jane Eyre is able to get help from other people while the Narrator is not, which leads to different outcomes for each character. Jane Eyre is able to find ways to cope with her situation while the Narrator slowly goes mad.
