Both Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper are stories that explore the psychological effects of isolation. However, while Jane Eyre is a story of empowerment, The Yellow Wallpaper is a story of descent into madness.
The narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper is isolated in a room with yellow wallpaper that she gradually comes to see as alive. The wallpaper starts to consume her, and she becomes convinced that there is a woman behind the wallpaper, trying to get out. The ending of the story is bleak, with the narrator descending into madness.
Jane Eyre, on the other hand, is a story of self-discovery and empowerment. Jane is isolated at first by her aunt, but eventually escapes to find her own way in the world. She is able to confront the obstacles in her life, including a cruel husband, and find happiness in her own independence.
Both Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper are stories about isolation and the psychological effects of it, but Jane Eyre is ultimately a story of empowerment while The Yellow Wallpaper is a story of descent into madness.
In the two novels, Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper, the protagonist characters are confronted with a variety of situations with authority. Jane and the Narrator are the primary figures who deal with these authorities, and an external as well as internal connection is formed with them. These two women also employ unique methods of utilizing power to their advantage at various stages in the stories. In terms of outwardly expressing their feelings about circumstances they find themselves in, Jane and the Narrator are initially similar in that they express themselves through action and words.
Jane Eyre is a story of a woman who has to fight for her identity in a society that tells her she can’t be who she wants to be. The Yellow Wallpaper is the story of a woman who is fighting against being told what to do and how to live her life.
Jane and the Narrator both use their words as weapons to get what they want, whether it is acknowledgement from their authority figures or just some space to breathe. Jane Eyre speaks out against Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst, while the Narrator rebels against John by saying whatever she wants about the wallpaper. Jane also displays her strength through her actions, such as when she leaves Thornfield Hall after Mr. Rochester’s proposal. The Narrator, too, shows her strength through physical action by tearing down the wallpaper.
However, Jane and the Narrator differ in the ways that they handle their relationships with authority figures. Jane Eyre has a more positive relationship with Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst, while the Narrator’s relationship with John is more negative. Jane eventually stands up to Mrs. Reed and Mr. Brocklehurst, while the Narrator never really confronts John about his restrictions. Jane also displays characteristics of an authority figure herself in her interactions with Rochester and Helen Burns. The Narrator does not take on an authoritative role until the end of the story.
In ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’ Charlotte Perkins Gilman employs the persona of Jane to symbolize the negative consequences of the rest cure. This unnamed woman is suffering from a mental illness. It’s probable that she has postpartum depression.
Jane is kept in a room with yellow wallpaper that she is not allowed to remove. The wallpaper is described as being ‘repellent’ and ‘suggestive.’ Jane becomes obsessed with the wallpaper, seeing women behind the pattern.
Jane Eyre, written by Charlotte Bronte, tells the story of a young girl who suffers various hardships in her life. Jane is sent to live with her aunt after her parents die. Jane’s aunt is cruel to her and Jane is eventually sent to a boarding school. Jane then becomes a governess for Mr. Rochester’s ward. However, Jane does not have an easy life there either.
She is constantly battling Mrs. Reed, the ward’s aunt, and Mr. Rochester is often away on business. Jane eventually marries Mr. Rochester, but she is not happy. Jane leaves Mr. Rochester after she discovers that he has been keeping a mistress in the attic. Jane goes on to live a life of independence and self-reliance.
Both Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper are about women who are suffering from mental illnesses. However, the endings of the two stories are very different. Jane Eyre is able to get help and eventually recovers from her illness. The Yellow Wallpaper ends with the narrator going mad and killing herself.
The final characteristic shared by both Jane and the Narrator is that at the conclusion of their tale, each woman receives a measure of power. The way in which they go about gaining authority differs between the two, as does how they employ it after they acquire it. The ultimate product is built from similarities between the two women’s personalities, with differences in how they utilize those qualities in their daily lives..
Jane is sent to live with her Aunt Reed after her parents die, and Jane has to put up with her sadistic relatives. Jane eventually gets a job as a governess for the Rochesters, and falls in love with Mr. Rochester. However, Mr. Rochester is hiding a secret from Jane, which leads to Jane running away. Jane ends up living at Moor House with St. John Rivers and his sisters, before finally marrying Mr. Rochester and moving back to Thornfield Hall. The story concludes with Jane being appointed as the head of an all-girls school.
The Yellow Wallpaper is about a woman who is recovering from a nervous breakdown. The Narrator is forbidden by her husband to do anything that will tire her, so she is stuck in the upstairs bedroom of their home. The Narrator becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in the room, and starts to see strange things happening behind it. The story concludes with the Narrator tearing down the wallpaper and finally being able to recover.
Both Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper are about women who are trapped in a certain situation, and need to find a way to escape. Jane is trapped with her terrible relatives, while the Narrator is trapped with her overprotective husband. In both cases, the women find ways to escape that ultimately lead to them gaining more power in their lives. Jane escapes by running away and marrying Mr. Rochester, while the Narrator escapes by tearing down the wallpaper. They both use their newfound power to help other women in their lives. Jane establishes an all-girls school, while the Narrator becomes a mental health advocate.
The main difference between Jane Eyre and The Yellow Wallpaper is that Jane is able to use her power for good, while the Narrator starts to lose grip of reality. Jane is able to stay grounded and use her authority to help others, while the Narrator starts to see things that might not be there. This can be seen as a criticism of the patriarchy, which often forces women into submission. The story concludes with the Narrator finally being able to break free from her husband’s control, but she has already been damaged by the experience.
