Rereading Gender and the Gothic in Frankenstein and "The Yellow Wallpaper"

Frankenstein and "The Yellow Wallpaper," popular stories of the nineteenth
century and included on most college reading lists, have been installed into limited
chnons that take away from the art ofthe literature. Written when strict social guidelines
ddined and separated the gender spheres, these works show the changing attitudes and
resulting social problems for women, between the early nineteenth century
(Fmnkenstein) and the late nineteenth century ("The Yellow Wallpaper").
The Gothic genre claims Frankenstein, and since its revival in the 1970s, "The
Yell ow Wallpaper" has been firmly seated in the academy under feminist criticism. Each
work belongs to both categories, with elements of each attracting more and more readers.
Readers can discover that Mary Shelley creates a tale about the horrors of pregnancy and
motherhood, while Charlotte Perkins Gilman creates stunning Gothic effects in her short
story embraced by feminist criticism.