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Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The glory of our race is its power of communication. We share our strength and knowledge and rise as one; we share our failure and weakness and help each other bear it.“

Charlotte Perkins Gilman,"Our Place Today," 1891

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935)

Famous American family

Aunt Harriet Beecher Stowe: Wrote 30 books (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)

Aunt Isabella: Active in the women's suffrage movement

Henry Ward Beecher: Active in abolitionist movement

Catharine Beecher: Founded many schools for young women & was a prolific author

Marriage and Motherhood

Born in 1860 Committed suicide in 1935 when

cancer prevented her from working

Father abandoned her & her mother Financial strain on them

Educated herself Married Charles Walter Stetson, a

painter They had a daughter

Marriage and Motherhood

Post-partum depression Stay at home cure

Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper

Friendly divorce in 1894 Daughter lived with father

Married G. Houghton Gilman in 1900

Other Relationships & Influences

Jane Addams: Both supported democracy & education for social improvement

Both rejected conflict & revolution for equality

Gillman disagreed with Addams’ focus on underprivileged & pathology

Gillman’s focus was all people in society

Other Influences

George Bernard Shaw British Fabian Socialist

An upper middle-class intellectual group

Sought social improvement through:Education of a few powerful British

government officialsNot revolutionLead reforms from within government Work within the social structure rather than building a new one

Sidney & Beatrice Webb

Gilman was influenced by Webbs’ writings on the economy

Webbs’ views on non-revolutionary change

They were also Fabian Socialists

Gilman’s Ideas

Democracy & education for social reform Supported cooperative socialism

Emphasized education for all

Social reforms:Child-rearing professionalsMeal preparation professionals

Gilman’s Ideas

Views on Gender: Three Themes1) Excellence of women’s values &

abilities

2) Belief in biological & evolutionary origin of women’s superior attributes

3) Socialist’s vision of political & social equality between men & women

Gilman’s Views on Gender

Men & women born equalDifference is socially created

Overemphasize women as:MaternalSex objects

Gilman’s Views on Gender

Society does not benefit from women’s other talents & qualities such as:

Cooperation Peacefulness

Gilman’s Ideas

Reform Darwinism Social Darwinism combined:

Survival of the fittest with support for status quo, individualism, & capitalism

Reform Darwinism emphasized the evolution of cooperation and caring (not survival of fittest)

Cooperation is good for society & produces progress

Progress includes gender cooperation

Gilman’s IdeasCultural Feminism

Historically women were equal or superior to men

Five stage theory of societal evolution1. Asexuality to sexuality (appearance of

males)

2. Males become superior in size & strength

3. Society changes from matriarchy to patriarchy

4. Monogamous mating

5. Eventually (future), women become free economically & socially

Gilman’s IdeasSocialism:

Gillman agreed with Marx that work was basic

Women needed to be economically independent

More a critic of capitalism than proponent of socialism

Professionals should do parenting rather than amateurs

Food should be mass-produced in cooperative kitchens

Focus on collective & cooperative activity

Gilman’s IdeasFunctionalism

Society is made of individual parts

Interrelated

Specialized functions

Society is based on cooperation

Gilman’s Ideas Summary

Gillman wanted men & women to experience fulfillment

Possible to make society good Society was cooperative, evolutionary, & could be reformed

Supported women’s right to vote Writings encouraged people to change their behavior