Compare and contrast study of domestic violence and woman’s resistance in "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "Sweat" short story

This study explores how domestic violence and woman’s resistance are portrayed in Zora Neale Hurston “Sweat” and Charlotte Perkins Gilman “The Yellow Wallpaper” using feminism theory. It focuses on two main questions: (1) What kinds of domestic violence the female characters face in both of the stories; (2) How they resist the abuse and oppression. This research uses a qualitative method, analyzing the texts to understand the stories in detail. The data were gathered by identifying different types of violence and examples of resistance in the stories. A feminist lens was then applied to explore how these elements reflect the larger societal norms and patriarchal systems of the time. The results show that in “Sweat”, Delia resists her abusive husband, Sykes, by enduring his cruelty with strength and independence. Her practical actions lead to her eventual freedom when Sykes’s own cruelty leads him to his death. In contrast, in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the narrator’s resistance is more psychological and symbolic. Her mental breakdown is a way of fighting back against the societal and marital restrictions she faces, but it also shows the harmful effects of that oppression she faces.This study concludes that both of the stories highlight the struggles of women living under patriarchal systems and show their strength and resilience in the face of abuse and oppression.