The Yellow Paper

Perkins Gilman definitely writes in such a way as to produce change. She touches on many issues such as women's rights, the institution of marriage, and mental illness. I think one of the most important statements she makes is about women. Something that was a very interesting idea to me that we talked about in class was the relationship between the wallpaper and the women. The wallpaper did not function just as a domestic item, but rather a character. The wallpaper was something that held captive everything that was hidden inside. It is interesting to relate the wallpaper to society and women being trapped beneath it. It is a very uncomfortable thought for Gilman as she claims that the woman trapped inside is "all the time trying to climb through" (363). The paper is oppressive to the woman trapped within its confinements. She makes us believe that being trapped is brutally oppressive and domineering. I do not think it is by mistake that Gilman makes the person trapped within a women. I think this is a large statement of how Gilman views how women function in society. She believes that they are trapped and need to be allowed freedom. This can be seen in the end when she "pulled off all the paper [she] could reach standing on the floor" (365) and was set free. After John faints in the room, the narrator is able to "creep over him every time" (365). After all of the story, she is able to be victorious and go over John. This to me is a bold statement of Gilman's hopes for women. She desires them to be free of the things that tangle them and to be able to not just be equal with men, but also reign over them. Another claim she makes by the pain of the entire story is that women's rights come with a price. It calls for sacrifice, and even possibly death.

Another writer we have also read this semester that is also writing to convey a message about society is Louisa May Alcott. Both texts make comments about insanity, especially in regards to women. We see the effects and institutions of insanity in both texts. Although A Whisper In the Dark is more outright in its description, they both definitely make statements about insanity. Alcott questions what insanity means and what should be done with those who possess characteristics of insanity. She questions whether institutionalization is most appropriate or simply just a means to an end for husbands who desire to ship away their wives and claim "insanity."

Good Ol' Country Boy

I thought it was interesting today in class when we discussed the differences between a city boy and a country boy. It is fascinating the roles both of them play and the way in which a reader can see the same action, yet in a different light due solely to the place they call home. In Mark Twain's Adventures of Tom Sawyer, everyone is drawn in immediately to like Tom Sawyer. He is a good ol' southern country boy that is full of spunk and innocence and ultimately embodies true southern charm. He still fits under the category of boys will be boys, yet his actions we tend to take lightly. We see that in the beginning of the story he disobeys his Aunt Polly by getting into the jam, followed by running away, and then later in the story we see him selling his chores to other boys for trinkets. He can be a little pain in the rear, yet we still love him as a character, and even go a step further to say that Tom is the child we all wish we could have been. If I was his mother, I would be so frustrated, but all of his actions seem acceptable. Why? The reader likes Tom because he is not devious solely for the purpose of being devious, but in pure innocence. He appeals to the innocence of childhood that everyone loves. Tom is the first character that we actually get to see be a child. He is a breath of fresh air no matter how mischievous he can be. His innocence makes him easier to realte to. He isn't like Ragged Dick trying to make a profit for own economical gain, but instead gathers "twelve marbles, part of a jews' harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a ket that wouldn't unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six firecrackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass door-knob, a dog-collar-but no dog- the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange peel, and a dilapidated old window-sash" (330). This list embodies nothing but the simple wealth of childhood. We like this appeal to simplicity, innocence, and childhood. His actions no matter how "bad" are always covered by a blanket of southern, country boy innocence.

In contrast, we read Raged Dick who lived in the city doing many of the same type of acts as Tom Sawyer, but we see them in a different light. Although I liked Dick as a character, there is not that alluring innocence about him that makes his action permissible. It is an interesting concept. I as the reader automatically assume that Dick's actions are tainted with ulterior motives. Also, we know that Dick's actions exist to win economic gain. This is a foreign concept for most people. The fact that a young boy lives his days to earn money to live a lifestyle that is far from innocent, smoking the best cigars and gambling, does not resonate with us. It is not as relatable or acceptable. Children in the city have lost their innocence and do not have the same demeanor.

Into the Wild

In this weeks blog posting I would like to focus on the description of the setting within the text, specifically the mountains. The text thus far all seems to be leading to the point where our main character arrives at the mountains. We really do no have a good picture of who she will be meeting there or what exactly she seeks to find. We know she is desperate and wishes to save her son, however, we do not yet know a lot about the mountains where we can assume something exists that she believes will save him.

The description of the final destination of the mountains is very interesting and sometimes even a little dark. Multiple times we see them referred to with what seems to me some mysterious language. I do not think this is by mistake. I think that Davis intentionally leaves an air of mystery surrounding the mountains. We wait anticipating her arrival and dreaming of what exactly the mountains will look like as well as what she may find there. So far in the novels we have read, we have not seen a landscape setting such as this. The mountains are a totally new frontier for us as a novel setting. It's unimaginable to the reader. The mountains seem to hold a certain mystery and darkness to them. They are so high above civilization and seemingly exists as another world separated from mankind. Many parts of them are untouched by man and seem to almost hold secrets that no one can know about. I try to imagine what the characters must be feeling as they approach this unknown land. It is a secluded landscape which hold "no human beings: the mountains were given up to the wild beasts" (252). The idea of seclusion really interested me as part of the setting. What exists within the mountains for her to find? Who will be her "savior" or will there even be one in this novel? Also, it is interesting that the text claims the mountains are inhabited by wild beasts. It is interesting to imagine what she will find on her adventure. It is an interesting idea that people such as the Yares live in such a remote place. As a reader I have to question the motive and ask myself why. It leaves me wondering what will happen when she arrives. The setting in and of itself makes the story suspenseful, however, I was comforted when the main character claimed, "It was as if God had taken her into one of secret places where He dwelt apart" (256). Even in the remoteness and the mystery of the mountains, there is a sense of safety as well. To be honest, the description of the setting thus far leaves me really not knowing what to think, but it just lures me to keep reading to unveil the mysteries that await.

Ragged Dick

After reading Ragged Dick, we are now as a class beginning to compare the expectations put upon little girls and little boys. It is interesting to see how the two roles oppose each other. In the novel, we see the old saying of "boys will be boys" coming to life. Little boys were expected to be adventurous, smart, self-sufficient, clever, hard-working, and dirty. These characteristics are seen as normal for young boys. No one blinks an eye that Dick is dirty. Dick claims that he "did not think it necessary to remove several dark streaks on his face and his hands" (252). Physically, little girls and boys, are expected to look different. We previously have seen little Ellen Montgomery's who are beautiful, neat, and dainty. It was an outrage when Capitola, dressed as a boy and appeared dirty. 19th century readers were up in arms, but for Dick, perfectly acceptable. It is an interesting fact that without even diving in to emotions or any deep level character analysis, a reader can already see the differences between little girls and boys.

Above all the things previously stated, two things really seemed to interest me about the topic of little boys. In Ragged Dick, there is a complete absence of a caretaker and there is no emphasis placed on religion. These two elements alone heavily weigh in literature pertaining to little girls. In contrast, Dick is alone by himself on the streets, and we know that he has no one coming to sweep him off the streets and take him in. Because he is a boy, he must learn to be independent and make his own way. With little girls, the reader is always longing for a savior to come take her in and better her situation. I would go as far as to say we even read in expectation of it. This is not the case however with boys. Never once was I waiting for someone to take him it.

The absence of religion plays a huge role in the how we portray little boys. In all previous novels we have read, religion has been one of the major things. We see religion being used to domesticate little girls into being women. It usually is only through acceptance of God that they are ever truly able to find themselves. However, Dick knows next to nothing about religion. It does not seem to influence his life in any way, claiming simply that he's seen "a big pile of 'em" (303). God does not culture Dick's life, but rather the streets and his own knowledge. He does not have to depend on God because he depends on himself to make it in life.

I think 19th century prized themselves with little girls, but took pride in their little boys. Those little boys needed to grow up fast, become clever and charismatic, and be self-reliant because they were the future men who would lead the country. It is interesting to see how children are raised really plays into what we expect of them later in life. We seem to culture and baby in a sense girls because we expect them to be in the home making toast, however with boys they seem completely on their own because they will need the skills they learn early in life to better themselves in the future world.

Insanity's Impact

In our readings thus far, this is sure a first. We have not seen or heard about anything close to an insane asylum in any of the previous excerpts. Through all the "kooky" things we have seen displayed throughout the other novels, the state of mind has not been mentioned in my remembrance once. It is an interesting entrance and seems to have an impact on the storyline.

When she wakes up in an insane asylum, the story changes whether she is truly crazy or not. To be honest I do not really think she truly was crazy. Irrational at times, yes, but crazy, I cannot hardly think. For the most part her thinking and speech always seemed logically. It was not disorganized or totally irrational. The scene where the reader finds out the insane asylum is where she has been taken is a sad one. It took me by surprise and broke my heart for her. It seemed as if the uncle had wrong intentions to begin with. He is more so the one that is hard for me to figure out and seems more cognitively disoriented than anyone else in the novel.

It does make you question, however, the legitimacy of her character for a second. It is easy to wonder what is truth and what is could be a false reality, but my inclination is to believe her for some odd reason. I think my heart just breaks for her. The reality that someone would put a young girl into an asylum without an explaination must make an impact on a character. She felt betrayed and isolate. Talk about adding flame to the fire. No wonder she maybe seemed a little off. She even claims, "I, poor victim, was given up to be experimented upon, till by subtle means I was driven to the insanity" (246). I believe she is a victim. Being a girl she is easily targeted and ruled upon. She had no say, but instead was forced into the asylum. It is there where she believes she is becoming crazy.

With regards to the mother/daughter relationship, this one has similarities and differences to previous stories we have read. Obviously her mother is not truly physically present within the story, however, she does seem to guide the reality with her prescence. She still is strongly working to mold and shape her daughter, as is a theme we see throughout 19th century literature.

Entrance of Children's Advocacy

One of the things that most interested me in our class discussion on Tuesday was the fact that this work of literature was one of the first to present the topic of children's advocacy. It hadn't even occured to me as I was reading through the first time, but it is so true. I chose this to talk about in my blog because it is one of the largest distinctions I can see in the domestic novels that we have read. In both The Wide, Wide World and The Lamplighter, the children were treated as property. There was no mention of any legal issues pertaining to their rights or gaurdianship. We see in The Lamplighter that Gerty is simply taken in off the streets. No signatures, no paperwork, or even a care of the matter. She simply becomes his.

Although we do not see any paperwork or signatures necessarily in The Hidden Hand, we do see a legal process beginning to form with regards to children's rights. First, the mere prescence of a trial is very significant. This is the first detailed legal structure we have really seen in any of the novels. The trial is interesting because it deals with how the law should deal with children. In Capitola's case, they bring her in for dressing up as a boy. The court is almost at a loss as what to do with her. They begin to question, "WHAT shall we do with her?" (185). The court proceeds then to question whether she should be sent to a "refuge" or "juvenile prison" (185). No one is quite sure of the specific protocal, but nonetheless, institutions are set up, therefore leading the reader to conclude that the 19th century legal systems was creating places where children could recieve help after legal allegations. This is also very significant. It is interesting that this is the first mention of places such as these in the novels because like we said in class if anyone were to go to a juvenile prison it would have been the skull-crusher Gerty, yet there was no mention. Another significant way we see child's advocacy is Old Hurricane defending Capitola in court. Old Hurricane takes the responsibility of being a voice for Capitola. He urges the court that although Capitola is just a child, she has rights that we ought to defend. He passionately repremands the court by saying, "whether a girl in boy's clothes, or men's clothes, or solider's clothes, or sailor's clothes, or any clothes, or no clothesm, sir, treat her with the delicacy due to womanhood, sir! ay, and the tenderness owed to childhood" (179). Childhood deserves a level of respect and true tenderness. Southworth makes the point that because children are innocent and delicate, they need people in society to urge for childrens' rights. Lastly, we see for the first time the issues of a legal gaurdian present in a child's life when the biological parents are absent. When the issue of where she should be sent is being handeled, Old Hurricane inquires if a proper legal gaurdian claims Capitola would the charges be dropped. When the judge agrees, Old Hurricane boldly claims "then, sir, I, Ira Warfield, of Hurricane Hall, in Virigina, present myself as the guardian of this girl, Capitola Black, whom I claim as my ward" (186). He claims Capitola as his own so that her right's as a child would be preserved. The issue of legal gaurdianship conveys a whole new set of standards emerging. In no way was it made legal by any form of documentation, but solely the proclamation speaks volumes in the direction the nation was heading. This fact directly contrasts what we see in The Lamplighter. Uncle True never claimed Gerty as his own, we just assumed. It is an interesting turn of events in just a few short years.
It is very interesting to see throughout our domestic novels the trends that lead to the promotion of child's advocacy. We see it slowly taking root and emerging. Although it is rudimentary, it is slowing coming onto the scene and into the popular text of the time.

Girls, Girls, Girls :)

I would have to say that I agree with the scholars of Girl's Studies. I believe that girls are very much still struggling with many of the same issues. Although they may manifest themselves in different ways, the foundation of these struggles remain the same. I would be a fool to think that times have not changed. Indeed, they have, but we still find ourselves struggling to fit into many of the same molds that society has to offer girls. Although Gerty and Anna from the video are very different girls, they both reflect the on going struggles of girlhood.

One of which being physical appearance. For centuries there has been a prototype girl figure and appearance. Though it has changed throughout time, girls are brought up to fit as closely to this mold as possible. In Gerty's case we see a little girl as far away from this prototype as possible. Cummin's goes as far as to describe her as "unwholesome looking" and without having a "single attraction" to her (79). These lengthy descriptions which introduce Gerty evoke a sense of sympathy from the reader from the very opening lines of the novel. A reader can assume from these descriptions the status of Gerty's life. It is heartbreaking. As readers, we feel as if little girls are not supposed to look this way, but in Gerty's case her appearance leads to many people on the street passing her by not noticing the little girl. This fact alone would lead the reader to believe that without the physical appearance first and foremost, one's character and fate ultimately do not matter. It is only the beautiful that we pay attention to. Those who catch our eye are the ones we most often gravitate towards. This is still unfortunately present today. In the video, we see Anna, a typical American girl. She has the long flowing hair, cute dimples, is thin, and has bright, kept clothes on. She is by no means out of the mold in which society raises their kids. Physically she is appealing, and unlike Gerty who is not, we see her talents praised and publicize to the world.

Another element that seems to be worshipped is the concept of balance within a proper girl's life. For Anna, this seems to be her main way of functioning. Amy Poehler evens makes a comment to it at the beginning of the interview by asking Anna is she is a girl who likes balance in her life. Of course we can expect her answer to be yes because she is a proper girl of society. Anna pours her time into yoga, to maintain a sense of balance and relaxation. Her emotions seem very balanced as well. We do not see any extreme excitement or sadness, but rather an equal expression of emotion. It seems very level and appropriate. I even at times forgot how young she was because her answers seem to reflect a young adult. In The Lamplighter, we see no balance in Gerty's life. Her life is unkempt and seemingly unorganized. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to her days, except to watch Trueman light the lamps. She is alone, orphaned, flawed, dirty, and rebellious for much of the first part of the story. These elements are portrayed in a way that we long to see something come and save Gerty from her ways of disorganization. When we see Trueman take Gerty in and Mrs. Sullivan becomes her domestic role model, a reader can begin to see order and balance slowly creeping into Gerty's life and instantly we have a new hope of a better life for her. Interesting that balance seems to bring about hope for a brighter future for little Gerty. Obviously this fact points directly to a lesson for young girls. Order and balance brings about prosperity.

I do not think Gerty at this point in the story would have even been invited to be on the Amy Poehler Show. For 19th century readers and for readers today, Gerty is not the typical role model to show young girls. If she would have been on the show, however, things would have been very different. Gerty would have been much more blunt and "rough around the edges". I wouldn't expect her to politely sit in her sit and answer every question with a non bias and gentle nature much less to say would pick her hobby to be yoga. Needless to say I don't think Gerty would ever be the yoga type.

Whether describing the contemporary girl or the historical girl, both stories depict girls trying to find their place in the whole. Whether struggling or fitting into the mold, the mold is alive and well, putting pressure and preconceived notions of what girlhood should look like.