Charlotte was born into the prominent Beecher family (Gilman 3). In fact, the illustrious Harriet Beecher Stowe was a great-aunt (3). Charlotte grew up with pride in her family. She recalls "When about fifteen years old I was told of our extremely remote connection with English royalty and I wrote eagerly to my learned father to inquire as to the facts- was I related to Queen Victoria?" (1). However, her father solemnly replied, "It is quite true that you are related to Queen Victoria, but there are a great many persons between you and the throne and I should not advise you to look forward to it" (1).

Lane, Ann J. To Herland and Beyond: The Life & Works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman.

Gilman's famous work, The Yellow Wallpaper also resembles struggles that she encountered in her personal life. In the short story, the narrator is suffering from depression and is confined to a small room for resting purposes (Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper, 29). In contrast, the narrator's husband is free to leave the house and participate in normal activities. The woman is essentially trapped in her environment. Desperate to find an escape from her terrible reality, the woman finds pleasure in writing (33). She writes about her surroundings, especially the yellow wallpaper that she finds horrid, yet intriguing. She writes about her mundane routine and her conflicts with her controlling husband, John. Writing is one of her only sources of joy, yet she is forced to hide it because of John and Jennie. The wallpaper is symbolic of the boundaries that women are expected to abide by. However, the woman was obsessed with getting beyond the wallpaper. She wanted to "free" the woman trapped inside of the yellow pattern. Eventually, just like Charlotte herself, the woman succeeded. She found victory over all of those who tried to restrict her. It was in that victory that the character and Charlotte found happiness and relief from depression.

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Approximate Word count = 1557
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)