In both “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the authors make use of the theme to represent the experiences that happen in real life. The connection between the writings and the situational experiences are real. Moreover, the characters are used to clearly bring out various themes, which are evident in both stories.
The first theme that comes up in both stories is love. It is depicted in the “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” where the author uses the character referred to as Connie who is the leading in the story. The girl has blossomed to become a beautiful woman and “had long dark blond hair that drew anyone’s eye to it,” which troubled her mother (Oates and Tobias 1). She has grown up to a mature lady with pretty physique than her sister. The writer suggests that her mother loves her so much that she often ended up quarreling with her for small reasons. Another instance where the theme is evident is where Connie is said to have developed the affection for looking at the window. She could not do without staring at the window to glance outside.
In the “Yellow Wallpaper,” the author brings out the theme of love using the character John who is a physician. The husband cares so much for her woman who forbids him to stop working and take plenty of rest. John's wife suffered from some temporary illness that requires so much attention. In essence, the physician provides the affection necessary to assist her to undergo through the process of recovery.
The theme of sarcasm is also depicted in both the stories. The first story brings out the latter where Connie’s mother is keen on her daughter such that she ends up calling her names. In actual sense, her mother loves her so much to the extent of cutting off many of the calls that are meant for Connie. She blames the kid for the developed attitude, yet she acknowledges that she underwent the same stage during her teenage.
Notably, the author suggests that Connie's mother used to be pretty during her days. As such, the same characters displayed by Connie are the ones, which used to be portrayed by the mother. The latter brings out the theme of sarcasm. Meanwhile, the story of the “Yellow Wallpaper” displays sarcasm where the woman is said to be suffering from a temporary disease. The husband, John, laughs at the situation, instead of giving her the attention she requires. She says that “I suppose John never was nervous in his life. He laughs at me so about this wallpaper!” (Gilman 649). As much as it may seem like John loves her, it is also sarcastic to note how she makes fun of the wife’s sickness (Stetson). John is a physician, which implies that he knows how to handle the patients in times of need. However, his attitude is a sign of sarcasm.
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Works Cited
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The yellow wallpaper. Project Gutenberg, 1999.
Oates, Joyce Carol, and Tobias Wolff. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?. Difusión, Centro de Investigación y Pubicaciones de Idiomas, 2013.
