22nd Annual Student Research Conference
Trapped the Wallpaper as a Good Sport: Performative Gender Constructions from Gilman to Parker
Suzanne N. Russell
Dr. Alanna Preussner, Faculty Mentor
The transition from the Victorian woman to the modern woman of the 1920s, many believed to be a transition away from roles negotiated by males. Examining The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Big Blonde by Dorothy Parker, one would suppose to see a new woman in Big Blonde, a modern woman whose life was no longer dictated by Victorian roles. Instead, the expected Victorian role in The Yellow Wallpaper is merely renegotiated in Big Blonde with Modern expectations. Each woman must exchange herself for economic position. And as each woman attempts to shape herself to a palatable mold, she fails because of the inherent fallacy of the situation; a role created by men, is a role created for men. Without economic independence, these women are trapped within a tragic role that they cannot negotiate.
Keywords: Gender, Performative, Women, Gilman, Parker, Trapped
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 53-2
Location: OP 2117
Time: 3:00