Feminists' are quick to point out that the main character in this story is driven down the path of insanity by her uncaring husband. It is of their opinion that John, the main character's husband, consistently neglects her by keeping her locked away upstairs. Other feminists argue that the main character was not actually insane, rather, she was pushed into a temporary state of delirium as a result of the state of confinement that her husband subjected her to. These same feminists will say that John's consistent misdiagnosis of his wife's condition smacks of incompetence. It is their theory that if the main character were a man during this same period of time, doctors would have treated the condition differently. In other words, men were not diag

The next myth that needs to be dispelled is that of John keeping his wife locked away in the house, thereby causing her to go insane. Feminists would like us to believe that John locked his wife away in a drab, musty cell, forbidding her to venture outside. The story paints a starkly different picture. At the beginning of the story, the character speaks rather fondly of the room, calling it "as airy and comfortable a room as any one need wish" (The Norton Anthology, p. 660). By her utterances here, one can quite easily ascertain that she is indeed comfortable in her new surroundings. The character is also of absolute liberty to explore the rose garden outside at anytime that she wished. This is proven true by two crucial examples from the story. The first is taken from the characters own mouth, from when she directly states that she "walks a little in the garden or down that lovely lane, [and] sit[s] on the porch under the roses" (The Norton Anthology, p. 662). By her own admission, she is able to wander outside upon her own free will.

Literature, Ed. Nina Baym. Fifth Edition, Volume 2. W.W. Norton & Company, New

John's love for his wife is further exemplified by him obtaining a nanny to watch over the baby until she recovers. He wanted her full, complete recovery to come about in an expedited manner. He obviously was aware of the strain caring for a baby puts upon a lady. Oppressive husbands are more akin to piling all of the burdens of child rearing and house maintenance upon their wives. Here, we have just the opposite. John did everything within his power to relieve the everyday stresses of his beloved wife by acquiring the services of a nanny. His wife was cognizant of this fact, for she plainly states the John loves her dearly, and hates to have her sick (The Norton Anthology, p. 662).

In summary, John should be championed as a role model for all aspiring husbands. He consistently showed complete devotion and concern for his wife throughout the story. He did everything within his power to make sure that she would have an expedited recovery from her ailments. John bent over backwards to ensure that

Some common words found in the essay are:
Norton Anthology, Wallpaper Feminists', John Modern, norton anthology, own free, beginning story, Company York, modern day, Edition Volume, Thomas English, inside house, keeping locked, yellow wallpaper, main character, Charlotte Perkins, Yellow Wallpaper, keeping wife locked, norton anthology 662, piece evidence, locked inside house, locked inside, john keeping wife, modern day feminists,
Approximate Word count = 1446
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)