In the novels written by Charlotte Gilman and Kate Chopin, the concept of marriage is contradicted by the romanticized relationship to the notion of captivity. Through the feminist perspective the reader gains the sense that marriage may be the root cause of gender oppression. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the central figure of Gilman, unknown to the reader, is metaphorically imprisoned in a house where the manager is her husband. In contrast to this Chopin character, Louise Mallard, gains a sense of liberation from a bleak marriage. It is clear that there are two works that illustrate how characters are imprisoned through marriage. In both works there is a thin line between the concept of domesticity and masculinity which is linked to a form of illness that both characters have. Doctors and doctors recommend that these women be detained and remain at home where they are protected and taught submission to authority (in this case to men). The idea was to remain in the domestic sphere to achieve the passive and normal life socially accepted at the time. In other words, the characters must convey that ideal wives existed. Although both Mallard and the narrator of Yellow Wallpaper admit that their husbands love and care for them, readers seem to feel that their marriages are what makes their illness worse. In Gilman's tale, male dominance is unmistakable. A prime example of this is through the narrator's tonality which allows her to act submissively to her male counterpart. She comments on how she is treated by her husband and uses his name regularly. Note that “John says” (305) implies her willingness to comply with his instructions. For example, he quotes, ... middle of the paper ... obvious and connected to the idea of ​​domesticating women. In these works they demonstrate marriage in a different light that we are not used to and that is marriage as a prison. Works Cited Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." The Norton anthology of short fiction. Ed. Richard Bausch and RV Cassill. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. 123-125. Gilman, Charlotte P. "The Yellow Wallpaper." The Norton anthology of short fiction. Ed. Richard Bausch and RV Cassill. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2006. 302-313. Goldscheider, Frances K., Calvin, and Goldscheider. “Gender Roles, Marriage, and Residential Independence.” Sociological Forum 7. (1992): 679-696. November 22, 2011 .Kent, Christopher. "Masculinity and the family in the Victorian period". (2007): n.pag. Defining gender, 1450-1910. Network. November 19 2011.