Portrayal of Female Depression: Applying L’écriture Féminine to The Yellow Wallpaper and A Rose for Emily

Abstract

The paper explores how male and female writers show female depression in fiction. It compares The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner. The analysis uses the feminist theory of L’écriture Féminine by Hélène Cixous. This theory explains that women write with emotion, the body, and personal voice. The method includes close reading of voice, sentence structure, tone, and symbols.

The results show that Gilman uses emotional and personal language. Her style helps the reader understand the woman’s mental state. Faulkner uses a formal and distant voice. His style keeps the woman’s emotions hidden. These differences are linked to the gender of the writers.

The paper is helpful for students, teachers, and scholars. It shows how gender and writing style affect the way mental health is described. The work supports feminist literary theory. It also gives ideas for future research. Other studies can explore more writers or newer stories to find more patterns.