Despite the different plots, Charlotte Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper, John Steinbeck's The Chrysanthemums and Kate Chopin's The Awakening, describe the same suffering; the isolation that women have been forced to endure throughout history. In the period in which all three characters were placed, it was culturally acceptable for wives to be dominated by their husbands; their responsibility revolves around the needs of their children and those of their spouse. Most women simply didn't have the means or idea how to rebel against their husbands. The women in all three stories are protagonists who have poor emotional attachment relationships with their spouses. While the main character in Gilman's story goes through multiple psychotic breaks, Elisa Allen from Steinbeck's piece is just the opposite: a very strong and powerful woman. Gilman's character finally solves his problems by freeing himself, while Elisa remains frustrated with her ignorant husband and Edna ultimately escapes through death. This domination, this isolation, is a cycle maintained by society and the men within it. A cycle that these three stories demonstrate is nothing but destructive and harmful to families as a whole. Following these plots, there are three key points to address: the relationship between husband and wife, the position of women within society and, finally, the end to which it pushes these originally normal women. Gilman's character initially tries to rebel against her husband through writing, (something she was forbidden to do during her hiatus). In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Gilman implies that although her husband is “very attentive and loving” (Gilman 449), she is also his doomed man. Gilman addresses the fact that John prev...... middle of paper ......equality condition; but in these short stories the reader can only see the loneliness, inner turmoil and feelings of inadequacy that afflict each of us. The reader learns that forcing a person, especially a woman, into a place of such exaggerated separation can have serious consequences. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. "The awakening." The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women: Traditions in English. 2nd ed. Comp. Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar. New York: Norton, 1996. 1011-101. Print.Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The yellow wallpaper." Literature for Composition: Reading and writing topics on essays, fiction, poetry, and drama. Ed. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto and William E. Cain. 8th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 765-75. Print.Steinbeck, John. "The chrysanthemums." The stories of seagull readers. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2008.