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AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, Volume3, Number3. August 2019 Pp.123-139
This paper aims to analyze the two short stories The Story of an Hour (1894) by Kate Chopin and The Yellow Wallpaper (1892) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in an attempt to unfold the journey that leads the female characters to awaken their consciousness and to stand against the dominating male figures in their lives. In both short stories, the central characters Louise Mallard and Jane, undergo an essential journey of self-realization, which leads them to finally freeing themselves from patriarchal authority and oppression. Moreover, the paper stresses the impact of the authors as females on their characters’ development throughout that journey. Following the analytical approach within the feminist theory, the article is influenced by two major feminist critiques; Virginia Woolf and Simone De Beauvoir, who believed that women should incorporate their voices into their writings to depict more realistic female characters. Finally, both characters rejected being subordinate and oppressed and formed a reaction against it. Moreover, both authors succeeded in portraying the true characteristics of a female character; they were able to voice their own opinions and represent their true feelings.
Alajlan, L. A., & Aljohani, F. (2019). The Awakening of Female Consciousness in Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour (1894) and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper (1892). Arab World English Journal for Translation & Literary Studies, 3 (3) 123-139.
Lama Abdullah Alajlan is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in English Literature from the
University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Her research interests focus mainly on Feminist and
Postcolonial studies. ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1631-283X
Dr. Faiza Aljohani is an associate professor at the University of Jeddah. She is a staff member in
the Department of English, the Faculty of Languages and Translation. Currently, she is working
as the assistant of the Vise president of the female campus. Her research interest are in African
American, and Caribbean Literature and Culture, Colonial and Post-Colonial Literature and
Culture, Twentieth and Twenty-First Century American Literature and Race Theory.
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