The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant are two works that explore feminist and misogynist views from a woman's perspective. Both Gilman and Maupassant examine societal beliefs regarding the intellectual capabilities and status of woman in society. While The Yellow Wallpaper focuses on a submissive wife with the mindset that men know best, The Necklace introduces a wife who is respected by her husband as his equal and in return is a greater example of the modern day woman. 

The Yellow Wallpaper is an interesting story about an unnamed wife and her husband, John, who have just had a baby. Perhaps Gilman chose to keep the woman nameless in her story to show that the wife essentially had no identity of self. While one would imagine that this would be a period of happiness for the couple, it is in fact a time of torture for the wife. In analyzing the thoughts of the wife, one must first acknowledge her feelings from a woman's perspective and place themselves into her shoes. As the wife explains the room that she is confined in she says, "I lie here on this great immovable bed- it is nailed down, I believe- and follow that pattern about by the hour" (213). In this story, the "great immovable bed" is symbolism for the wife's life that is restrained by her husband. The woman that the wife discovers "stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern" is actually a symbol of herself and the obedient wife she is to her husband (214). The Yellow Wallpaper is a perfect model of the misogynistic views of society and how they were accepted.  For example, the wife praises her husband by saying , "because he is so wise, and because he loves me so" with every decision that he made in the beginning. While she was clearly aware that she was sick in some way, she never once felt that she should seek someone else for help simply because her husband was a doctor and all the rest of the male doctors were the exact same way. The wife does think for herself and try and create possible solutions for her situation, however, after she shares her ideas with her husband she explains, "John says the very worst thing I can do is to think about my condition" (209). Instead, the wife watches Jeannie, John's sister, because "she is a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession" (212). Here it is evident that both John and Jeannie come from a household that viewed femininity from classic gender roles. The wife in the story directly diverged from common feminist views because she saw herself as beneath her husband. While John was gone during the day, the wife had to discover her own truths by "having to be so sly about it" (209). Neither John nor his wife saw her as his equal intellectually or physically and this was the belief of their society as a whole during the time period.  As the wife grows tired of being restrained in a room, she begins to notice the wallpaper moving and that "the woman behind shakes it!" (218). This was the turning point in the story when the wife realizes that she must try and change her reality. Quite distinctly at the end of the story, the wife is described to have been crawling around on the floor trying to peel the wallpaper off the wall. The wife being on the floor is a direct representation of how she was being treated as beneath her husband, and on a larger scale women as a whole were seen as less than their male counterparts. At the very end of the story, the wife exclaims "I've got out at last" and "I've pulled off most of the paper so you can't put me back" which shows that she had finally reached the freedom she so desired (221). Although the wife eventually freed herself from being submissive to her husband and his ways, The Yellow Wallpaper is a true depiction of a traditional woman during an older time period. 

On the other hand, The Necklace is a story surrounding Mathilde's journey to find her true identity while overstepping her boundaries with her husband. In this story, classic gender roles are displayed through a more modern approach. For example, it is said, "with women there is neither caste nor rank" at the beginning of the story and this alludes to acquired status being the main reason why women must find a suitable mate. This was the case with Mathilde. In her society, her status of a clerk's wife afforded her a "little Breton peasant" servant and having all the luxuries she needed to live a comfortable life (33) . While Mathilde fulfilled the common gender role of women staying at home, her life differed greatly from more traditional gender roles in that she was able to be her husband's equal intellectually and physically. Instead of ignoring his wife's feelings, Mathilde's husband stopped to ask her "What's the matter?" when he saw that she was perplexed (34). However, her femininity is displayed through false values and sense of self. In Mathilde's relationship, she was the more dominant person and her husband loved her so much that he would try and fulfill all of her wishes no matter now unrealistic. While Mathilde complained, "It annoys me to not have a single jewel, not a single stone, nothing to put on" her husband lovingly offered every suggestion he could think of just to make her happy (35). Mathilde's husband was clearly the breadwinner of the family, but he never displayed actions of misogynistic views. Possibly, had Mathilde's husband dominated himself over her she would have realized that he was the more respectable person of the household. The Necklace is an example of a story that conveys characters with feminist views through the demanding actions of Mathilde. While she was not always justified in her actions, she was considered equal to the men in her society. Mathilde is a greater example of a modern day woman because she has her own set of beliefs and ideas that are able to be freely expressed and put into action. 

The wife in The Yellow Wallpaper and Mathilde in The Necklace were two women who both had their own dreams and ideas. While one lived in a more traditional society, in the end of both stories the two women were free to live by their own standards. By comparing both works, one can see two different ends of the feminist perspective. The wife in The Yellow Wallpaper was seen as having no mental capabilities, yet her wishes for freedom from her husband were practical. Differently, Mathilde in The Necklace appeared to be a smart woman, yet she had a very pretentious mindset about life. On one end the wife in The Yellow Wallpaper had to treat her husband like her king, but on the other Mathilde treated her husband as if he was her slave. It is important to note that in The Yellow Wallpaper John addresses his wife by saying, "What is it, little girl?" which shows his blatant disrespect for his wife who was a woman and the mother of his child (215). In comparison, Mathilde's husband addresses her by saying, "But, my dear, I thought you would be glad" which shows the respect and love he has for his wife (34).  These dramatic differences in lifestyle show the transition of women from quiet housewife to a member of society with a valid opinion. Interestingly enough, in both stories the wives looked to another women by the name of Jeannie (Jeanne). In The Yellow Wallpaper, the wife saw Jeannie as the women her husband was molding her to be. The wife explains, "I verily believe she thinks it is the writing which made me sick!"  which shows that Jeannie has adapted her brother's mindset (212). She realized that the mindset of her husband was one that was held by most of those in society and meant that she would have to live the rest of her life according to her husband's "expert" knowledge. Similarly, Mathilde looked to her friend Jeanne Forestier as the women she was molding herself to be. Mathilde enjoyed seeing the glamorous lifestyle Jeanne boasted and thought she too was deserving of such status. In the end Mathilde addresses Jeanne saying, "But- madame!" which showed her respect for the woman (39). In The Necklace and The Yellow Wallpaper the purpose of the Jeannie (Jeanne) character was to teach the wives a lesson. If the wife in The Yellow Wallpaper had not realized that she would soon be a a puppet of her husband, like Jeannie, she would have still been making excuses for his unreasonable actions. Once Mathilde lost the "diamond" necklace in The Necklace and spent years of her life working to pay off her debt, she realized that all that sparkles is not gold. While the stories themselves surround feelings of treating women as equals or women not being treated equal to men, the meanings behind the stories are actually quite opposite. Comparing the two works allows the reader to understand that The Yellow Wallpaper is a story that describes a a woman diverging from common feminist views in order to incite feminist emotions within the reader. Contrarily, The Necklace is a story that conveys a woman mishandling her rights in society in order to dispel feminist emotions within the reader. 

The Yellow Wallpaper and The Necklace are two very different stories that show the journey of women and their rights in society. While the wife in The Yellow Wallpaper was driven crazy under the control of her husband, she possessed the mental strength to realize she had the rights to her own freedom. Differently, Mathilde, in The Necklace realized that through her own wrong doings she had single handedly over stepped her boundaries and created a world of hardship for her and her husband. The traditional wife in The Yellow Wallpaper is the perfect example of traditional gender roles in a misogynistic society. Mathilde, the more modern wife in The Necklace, is a perfect example of improved societal standards surrounding women. The comparison of both works allows for greater understanding by the reader in realizing the feminist  or anti feminist agendas these stories display. 

