The Awakening

“Perhaps it is better to wake up after all, even to suffer; than to remain a dupe to illusions all one’s life”, or is it? (Chopin). Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Rollo May express their agreement with this suggestion, in a peculiar way. Through their short stories, The Yellow Wallpaper and The Man Who Was Put in a Cage, respectively, they show the other side of the argument. Chopin’s quote refers to the ill results that come from constricting oneself to the confines of any institution, be it society or something else, that it is better to awaken to the illusions, than to simply adhere to avoid suffering. These stories take the opposite approach; they suggest that if one begins with the freedoms and knowledge given in an unrestrained setting, forcing constraints on one will cause insanity or even death. This supports the quote, but suggests that the reverse is also true. If one begins awakened to the reality of life, and then forced to retract into a life of confinement, th...