In the times that we live in today, in a relationship men and women have equal rights. Relationships are based on the idea that it takes both men and women to make a relationship work. There is a mutual respect between partners. However in the Nineteenth century, women had virtually no say in their lives or relationships. The men controlled everything. Women allowed their feelings and opinions to be controlled and influenced by men. This society that allows this to happen makes it harder for women to overcome such repression. It gives the sense that men are better than women. This is not always the case; there are relationships where women have the ultimate control. This is shown in "Editha" and "The Yellow Wall-Paper" at some point in each story there is a shift in the power, the spouse that has initial control loses it and in both stories, the women gain control.

In "Editha" by William Dean Howells, the power in the relationship between Editha and her fiancee, George Gearson, is switched. Editha is the one with the control. In one instance, George comes to her for advi

These two stories show the amount of power and control that people can have over another person. John tries to control Charlotte, but he can not control her mind. John tries to control, what she does and is convinced that he is doing that. However, by the end of the story the power that Charlotte has over herself is evident to both the reader and John. She can no longer let him think and feel that he had control over her. Editha has power over George; she controls the outcome of his fate. However, using this control for her selfishness she loses her husband in the process. Through psychological means, both women had a shift in power in their relationship by the end.

Throughout the story the control that John has over her becomes more apparent. In her writings the phrases "John says..." or "John thought....." are used quite frequently. For example "John thought that it might do me good to see a little company" or "John says if I don't pick up faster, he shall send me to Weir Mitchell in the fall" (Gilman 1742). He is constantly telling her what to do and how to think. When John says that Charlotte was improving and Charlotte protests, saying that she is better in body perhaps, but not mentally John becomes angry and tells her to "never for one instant let that idea enter [her] mind" (Gilman 1741). He tried to control her consciousness. In that way, he is very similar to Editha. The both tried to control the consciousness of their spouse. However, Editha is successful where as in the end John is not. They both also have the same selfish motives; "he said that I was his darling and him comfort and all he had, and that I must take care of myself for his sake and keep well" (Gilman 1740). He wants her to recover only because it will make his life easier.

At the end of the story, when Charlotte locks John out of the room, she gets a moment of control over him. When he finally gets the key to the room; "the key is down by the front steps, under a plantain leaf" (Gilman 1745), he comes in sees what she has

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Approximate Word count = 1377
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)