Some men tell us that we must be patient and persuasive; that we must be feminine. My friends, what is a man's idea of ​​femininity? It is having a manner that pleases him, calm, deferential, submissive, approaching him as a subject does with a master. He wants no self-assertion from us, no challenge, no vehement accusations against him as a thief and criminal. (Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Womanliness 1890) A fictional narrative is a powerful literary tool. This allows an author to tell a story that would otherwise be too gruesome or unbelievable to tell. It allows you to say the unspeakable. Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote the story The Yellow Wall-Paper to give voice to the oppressed masses of women in the 1890s. The Yellow Wall-Paper is an indictment of the misogynists of America circa 1890. In her story, she allows the reader to see America through three different lenses: the paternal chauvinist John, the empathetic and submissive Jennie, and the unnamed protagonist, who becomes increasingly disillusioned as she becomes more aware of her surroundings. By deconstructing the three “lenses,” Gilman’s view of the role of women in a misogynistic America becomes clear. The protagonist's husband, John, is the symbolic representation of the paternal hegemony that existed during Gilman's lifetime. Gilman's choice to use the ubiquitous name "John" may be emblematic of the widespread problem of women's oppression. The way John acts towards his wife is a microcosm of gender inequality in society. John treats her as if she were his child and in no way his equal. He is a doctor and unable to believe what he cannot see. The protagonist says of John's disbelief: "These nervous disorders are terribly depressing. John doesn't know how much pain I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him. » (Gilman p.14) He has no knowledge. of the internal functioning of the female psyche. So he treats his wife's disobedience and depression the same way one would treat an irritable child; he locks him in his room. John believes that if his wife is indeed, it is the result of female hypochondria and the negative influence of creativity. He stops his wife from writing. Writing was something his wife found happiness in. John subscribes to the “pedestal” philosophy. In the sense that women are the moral guardians of society and a woman is corrupted by things like creativity or competition..