Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path by the wall, so I had to creep over him every time!Charlotte Perkins Gilman "The Yellow Wallpaper"
Like many of those attempting to study the various styles of literary criticism, I've read Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" before.
Previously, I wrote on my belief of the suicide of the author.
The reason I'm digging up ancient (or so it feels) history is because of what became of it - staring four months after it was written.
Authorial intent - I'm against it - I'm a close reading kind of girl, but that is essential what the debate that followed was about. For example: "If you actually took some time to read this story more carefully or read Gilman's biographies you would already known this. It is also made clear in some of Gilman's essays." and "The real issue is that we know that Gilman, like her narrator, at least entertained thoughts of suicide because of her trapped role as a woman, expedited by her post-parted depression."
These comments bring up the importance of bringing the author into the text. So instead of looking at the text to find my argument for suicide, I was (from the point of view of those who commented) supposed to look at Gilman's views on suicide. So which is it? My viewpoint because of the text or figuring out Gilman's viewpoint through her history?