Abstract
Seclusion as a Heterotopia: An Analysis of “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “To Room Nineteen”
Space used to be disregarded in scholarly works as it was thought to be secondary to time in accordance with dualistic worldview. However, this trend has come to be challenged with contemporary theories that problematize binary oppositions that are formed out of dualistic worldview, and space has gained attention. An understanding of space can contribute to an understanding of feminisms studies because women were disregarded as well by teleological and patriarchal thinking. This study aims to explore space and its relation to women by analyzing two signature feminist short stories of American literature and English literature, “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “To Room Nineteen” through Foucault’s theory of heterotopias. It is argued that the rooms where the heroines are secluded function as heterotopias where women find freedom and space of signification. The two short stories reveal signification of heterotopias within society for providing space for women and repercussions in the case of the loss of a heterotopia.
Keywords
Foucault, Heterotopia, Space, Feminisms in English Literature, Feminisms in American Literature
