Throughout history, the concept of
freedom has been consistently discussed and dissected. The discussion of
freedom has spawned multiple deliberations, specifically amongst political
leaders, social activists, and even in multiple pieces of literature. When
addressing freedom, the idea of egalitarianism is often mentioned.
Egalitarianism according to Richard Arneson Stanford University is defined as,
“People should be treated as equals, should treat one another as equals, should
relate as equals, or enjoy an equality of social status of some sort.”
Egalitarianism has even been somewhat addressed by the famous civil rights activist,
Martin Luther King Jr. in his era. Similarly to King, there have been numerous
pieces of literature addressing the theme of rightful freedom or oppression of
one’s freedom. A notable piece of literature comes from the well renowned
writer Charlotte Perkins-Gilman who is the author of the short story “The
Yellow Wallpaper.” The story written by Gilman exhibits multiple instances in
which the rights of women are harshly oppressed in the late 1800’s. In addition
to Gilman, there have been other notable writers that include the theme of
oppression in their works. An excellent example of an author that incorporates
the theme of oppressed freedom in their work lies with George Orwell and his
novel 1984. It is undeniable that the concept of freedom has been
identified through multiple pieces of literature and public speeches and as a
result, have left masses thinking about one’s own freedom and the idea of
egalitarianism.
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Freedom
is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the
oppressed." King had said this in a time in which African Americans had
been subjected to persistent and malicious racist behaviors. Within King’s
statement, it is clear that what he had meant was that one must fight for the
equality of others. However, when fighting for egalitarianism, it has been
shown that fighting for equal rights does not require violence. King, in his
time, along with multiple African Americans and minority groups had faced
oppressive behavior. Even in the
modern era people have been stricken with oppressive laws halting people’s happiness consistently. However, there have been certain
laws that grant people their equal rights portraying a true display of
egalitarianism. For example, within the past year, the laws for same-sex
marriage have been changed to be viewed constitutionally in all states,
disallowing states to not recognize same-sex marriage. Charlotte
Perkins-Gilman within her short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” displays the
oppression of women with a female main character being subjected to improper
medical treatment limiting her activity in her own home, creating somewhat of a
parallel between herself and Martin Luther King Jr. and his efforts. Gilman’s
story illustrates the life of women in her era excellently through multiple
uses of vivid imagery and multiple uses of symbolism involving the wallpaper
present in the story. There are multiple instances within, “The Yellow
Wallpaper,” that portray tremendous oppressive behaviors towards the female
main character, and narrator, that can be interpreted to be oppression amongst
the entire female gender at the time. At the time of the writing of Gilman’s
story, the popular diagnosis for individuals with fatigue, nervousness, and
depressed mood, involving primarily women, was neurasthenia. It is clear that
the narrator for Gilman’s story suffers from this disorder and as a result is
put through oppressive medical treatments. An excellent display of the main
character being subjected to oppressive behavior within the story is displayed
with the main character saying, “There comes John’s sister. Such a dear girl as
she is, and so careful of me! I must not let her find me writing,” (319).
Limiting creative prowess and halting one’s ability to express oneself can lead
to drastic events. The narrator having to hide the fact that she is writing is
an excellent demonstration that oppression is truly devastating to one’s mental
health. It is demonstrated towards the end of the story that narrator’s mental
health becomes compromised, leading her to rip off the yellow wallpaper
aggressively. Following the main character’s mental collapse, her husband
breaks into her room prompting her to explain what happens saying, “I’ve got
out at last, in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper so
you can’t put me back,” (328). The theme of oppression is dominant throughout “The Yellow Wallpaper,” and the novel 1984,
truly displaying how egalitarianism is an important aspect in everyday life.
The novel 1984,
by George Orwell, is and excellent example of how an oppressive lifestyle can
be truly devastating. Throughout the novel, it is clear that putting people in
an environment in which people’s rights are extremely limited, people will
revolt in spite of what is told to be truthful and just. Winston Smith, the
novel’s protagonist, is put through multiple challenges to try to comprehend
his oppressive government and their multiple efforts used to keep all the
proles, the working class, in line. A devastating example of oppressive efforts
by the government used in the novel 1984, by George Orwell, comes from
Winston describing what he sees while on his way to work. “Here seemed to be no color in anything,
except the posters that were plastered everywhere. The blackmoustachio’d face
gazed down from every commanding corner. ere was one on the house-front
immediately opposite. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption said, while the
dark eyes looked deep into Winston’s own,” (Orwell 4).
It is evident; that both the novel 1984 and the short story ”The
Yellow Wallpaper,” truly advocate how important the concept of egalitarianism
is to one’s mental and social health.
Orwell, George. Chapter 1. 1984. Paris:
Gallimard, 1950. 4. Print.
Booth, Alison, and Kelly J. Mays. The Yellow Wallpaper.
1892. The Norton
Introduction to Literature. New York: W.W. Norton, 2005. 328. Print.
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