Question

Read the excerpt from ''Why I Wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper.''' This wise man put me to bed and applied the rest cure, to which a still-good physique responded so promptly that he concluded there was nothing much the matter with me, and sent me home with solemn advice to "live as domestic a life as far as possible," to "have but two hours’ intellectual life a day," and "never to touch pen, brush, or pencil again" as long as I lived. What social attitude of Gilman's era does this excerpt best demonstrate?

A. Women were not allowed to vote in local or national elections.
B. Women were not considered suited to work outside the home.

Answer 1

The excerpt from 'Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper' exhibits the societal attitude that women should not engage in work outside the home, an idea prevalent during Charlotte Perkins Gilman's time. The correct answer is option B.

Step-by-step explanation:

The excerpt from Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper' best demonstrates the social attitude of Gilman's era that women were not considered suited to work outside the home. The 'rest cure' prescribed by the neurologist and the directive to live a domestic life reflect the prevailing view of the time that intellectual or creative endeavors were improper for women, and that their primary role was domesticity. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, women like Gilman advocated for social reform and challenged these stereotypes through literature and activism, reflecting the progressive push against the limitations imposed by traditional gender roles.