Charlotte Perkins Gilman
“The labor of women in the house,
certainly, enables men to produce
more wealth than they otherwise
could; and in this way women are
economic factors in society. But so are
horses.”
-Charlotte Perkins Gilman
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s,
horses and other animals had more rights
than women and children, and this fact
was reflected in the writings of many
influential female writers of the time.
birminghamhistory.co.uk
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a feminist
journalist whose past experiences and
current social conditions helped her
produce many literary works that focused
on the themes of social criticism and a
call for change.
susanswanonline.com
Influence of her past
Parents separated
 Moved a lot

uliejordanscott.typepad.com
Influence of her past
Abolitionist relatives
 Independent women

americaslibrary.gov
bannedbooks.world.edu
Social Influences
Civil War
 Increased rights for some

danmillerinpanama.wordpress.com
Social Influences
Industrial Revolution
 Women’s Movement

teacherlink.org
Themes reflected in her writings
louiseh7762.wordpress.com
• Social criticism – treatment of wives
• Call for change – recognize as equal
Themes reflected in her writings
• Social criticism – unequal justice
• Call for change – equal under the law
ouiseh7762.wordpress.com
Themes reflected in her writings
• Social criticism – gender roles
• Call for change – sharing of responsibilities
louiseh7762.wordpress.com
THESIS
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a feminist
journalist whose past experiences and
current social conditions helped her
produce many literary works that focused on
the themes of social criticism and a call
for change.
poetryfoundation.org
Charlotte Perkins Gilman devoted her life
and her writings to continually arguing against
social conventions that gave women less legal
protection and less social standing than what
was currently given to horses.
blogs.baylor.edu
Works Cited
Beekman, Mary “Charlotte Perkins Gilman .” Women’s Intellectual Contributions to
the Study of Mind and Society. No date. Web. 23 Sept. 2012
<http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/gilman.html>.
"Domestic Goddess: Charlotte Perkins Gilman." Women as Writers . 23 Aug. 1999.
Web. 25 Sept. 2012 <http://www.womenwriters.net/gilman1.htm>.
Reuben, Paul P. "Chapter 6: Charlette Perkins Gilman." PAL: Perspectives in American
Literature- A Research and Reference Guide. No Date. Web. 25. Sept 2012
<http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap6/gilman.html >.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Walpaper." Literature: An Introduction to
Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing: 6th Compact Interactive ed. Eds. X. J. Kennedy
& Dana Gioia. Boston: Longman, 2008. 314-7. Print