Throughout both Mary Wilkins Freeman's "Luella Miller" and Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," each author exposes the theme of independence primarily through a conflict between the character development of males and females. Freeman and Gilman both apply gender to this theme of independence to make a strong statement about women and their independence, or rather, the lack thereof. Despite the similarities of both the theme and the critical lense in the two short stories, the treatment of the theme in each story is different. Each plot portrays and develops the theme of independence differently through the way in which each main character achieves and deals with her lack of independence.
        In "Luella Miller," the protagonist lacks independence. Luella Miller completely depends upon those around her on a daily basis: her companions (her first husband and his sister, her Aunt Abby Mixter, her second husband, and finally Maria Brown) who choose to live with her in her in own house. Luella never does anything on her own or for herself. Luella's companions always do "all the sweepin' and the washin' and the ironin' and...the cookin'" (Freeman 174). They "even do her sewin'" (Freeman 174). When Luella's companions are sick and "wa'n't strong enough to do anythin'" (Freeman 175), Luella does not so much as even lift her finger for herself. Without one hint of help from Luella herself, her companions, whether they be in good health and strong, or sick, weak, and weary, still continue to do all the work in the house.
        Just like Luella, Jane, also the protagonist, from "The Yellow Wallpaper," depends upon those who live in her house. Between the two, Jane depends on her husband (John) and the servant (Mary) for almost everything. She depends on John, since he is "a physician of high standing," (Gilman 1* ) to cure her illness; and at first she relies completely and blindly on him to achieve her well-being. When John tells her to take medicine, she takes it without even knowing what medication she is taking to get better, much less if it even helps her: "I [Jane] take phosphates or phosphites-whichever it is" (Gilman 2*). Jane also depends on John for her daily activities. Even the mere seriousness of Jane's disease and her progress towards getting better depends on John. John believes that "there is really nothing the matter" (Gilman 1*) with Jane, and when "a physician of high standing...assures friends and relatives" that this is the case, "what can one do?" (Gilman 1*). The idea that her case is not serious satisfies Jane simply because John "knows that there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him" (Gilman 3*). Although Jane feels no improvement in her condition and wishes to go home, John insists that, because he is "a doctor, dear, and...know[s]" (Gilman 8*) these kinds of things, she "really [is] better...whether [she] can see it or not"(Gilman 8*). John does not even allow Jane the freedom of having feelings of her own. Jane must feel better because he, John, believes that she feels better, regardless of what she actually feels. He orders that Jane is "absolutely forbidden to 'work' until [she] is well again" (Gilman 2*) and must have "perfect rest and all the air [she] can get" (Gilman 3*). Because Jane is not allowed to tend to her son, she must depend on Mary to care for her baby. Jane reveals that "it is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby" (Gilman 4*) because she herself simply "cannot be with him" (Gilman 4*); "it makes [her] so nervous" (Gilman 4*), and John will not allow it.
        Both authors use gender to place emphasis on the common theme of independence by developing the main female characters as dependent individuals, thereby portraying the female gender without independence. This depiction of women without any independence reveals the harsh truth about the roles that women played in the late 1800’s. However, the similarities between the two stories stop here.
        Luella exhibits both dependency and independency, simultaneously. She completely depends upon her companions in that they must do everything for her, but at the same time, she also shows her independence because she chooses to be dependent through the manipulation of her companions. Luella is so dependent upon all of her companions for the simple reason that she has the ability to make them do what ever she wants them to do. This power that Luella has over the other characters gives her a sense of independence; she answers to no one and can do whatever she wants. Even when everyone "knew how Luella didn’t do much of the work herself...they just winked at it" (Freeman 174) and let her be. With this power Luella chooses to make her peers do everything for her while she does nothing for herself, thus becoming dependent upon others. Though she depends upon others, she still has the advantage and the luxury of a choice; and the ability to choose equals independence. While Luella depends upon others because she chooses to be, thereby neglecting her independence and willingly trading it for the chains of being dependent, John and Mary figuratively strip Jane of her independence, forcing her into her dependency upon her family.
        Jane does not choose dependency upon John and Mary. In fact, Jane wishes desperately for complete and absolute independency from them. John and Mary force Jane’s independency upon her by denying her the right to choose. Jane desires to do several things that John forbids her to do. She wants to write, take care of her baby, and have visitors but John refuses to let her do such things. Jane does not "like [her] room one bit" and "wanted one downstairs...but John would not hear of it" (Gilman 2*). Jane often "personally...disagree[s] with [John's] ideas" (Gilman 2*) and becomes "unreasonably angry with him sometimes" (Gilman 2*). She believes that "congenial work, with excitement and change would do [her] good" (Gilman 2*), as opposed to her husband's beliefs that advocate for ideas just the opposite. Jane wants to make her own decisions, and do whatever she wants without the administration of her husband, who "hardly lets [her] stir without special direction" (Gilman 2*). Jane longs for a break from her dependency, but John’s continuous regulating of her and her actions inabilitates such a break. Even when Jane does do something, she does it only under John’s guidance and direction. Only when Jane begins to question John’s authority, as a result of her need for independency, does she begin to challenge him by performing forbidden tasks without his consent, such as writing for example.
        A conceptual difference also occurs within "Luella Miller" and "The Yellow Wallpaper." The conception, or type, of independence each protagonists experiences differs within the two short stories.
        In "Luella Miller," the theme of independence deals with independence/dependence in terms of actually relying on others to perform certain tasks. This story expresses the idea of dependence in the sense where one individual counts on another individual to fulfill a certain purpose. Since relying on others is essential to her lifestyle, Luella personifies the concept of being dependent upon others. In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the theme of independence deals with issues of freedom instead of issues of relying on others, as in "Luella Miller." "The Yellow Wallpaper" expresses dependence in terms of being free and being able to do anything and everything you want to do. Jane’s life is completely void of freedom. Anything Jane wants to do John has to give consent for, or Jane has to do in private, hidden from John’s knowledge.
        While both Luella and Jane live with their lack of dependency, they deal with it in their own separate way. Luella welcomes her dependency. From beginning to end, Luella depends upon her companions, and does not seem embarrassed by the fact either. In fact, Luella seems to exude a certain profound pride in the idea that she depends on those around her. To Luella "it seemed right that other folks that wa’n’t any better able than she was herself should wait on her" (Freeman 181). When asked why she does not do her own work instead of making others do it for her, Luella "laugh[s] as innocent as you please...[and replies] ‘I never did [do the work]. Maria has to do it’" (Freeman 181). She wants people to wait on her. She does not wish to change. She does not desire to gain her independence and break the hold that it has on her. Luella stays dependent until the day she dies. After the townspeople refuse to help her, Luella’s second husband-to-be (the Doctor) sends off for a girl from out of town (Sarah Jones) to come serve her. Up until the day they die, the Doctor and Sarah take care of Luella. Even after they die, Lydia Anderson, the narrator, lends Luella a hand with the groceries and other odd jobs until she (Lydia) falls sick. For the two weeks that the Lydia is sick Luella has no one to depend on, and falls sick herself until eventually she dies. (Freeman 184-185). Luella’s dependency upon others proceeds throughout her entire life, with the exception of those last two weeks in which her life comes to an end.
        Jane, on the other hand, despises her dependency. Throughout the course of "The Yellow Wallpaper," Jane makes the journey from dependency to independency. In the beginning Jane exists as simply a nameless narrator, but in the end Jane declares her independency by revealing her name for the first time in the story. While Luella does not fight against her dependency, Jane undergoes a power struggle, in two ways. First, within herself, signified by the woman trapped behind the wall paper: "I’ve got out at last...in spite of...Jane. And I’ve pulled off all of the paper, so you can’t put me back!" (Gilman 17*). Secondly, with her husband. Jane breaks free from her husband’s chains of dependence by refusing to open the door and forcing John to go get the key himself. Jane’s physical "creep[ing] over him [John] every time" (Gilman 17*) as he lay fainted on the floor in her path symbolizes her triumph of independence and overcoming the power of her husband.
        Mary Wilkins Freeman and Charlotte Perkins Gilman use the same critical lens to emphasize a shared theme in their short stories "Luella Miller" and " The Yellow Wallpaper," respectively. Each author primarily examines the theme of independence through the critical lens of gender by placing the main female character in the chains of dependency, thereby making a loud statement about the inferior roles of women in the late 19th century. Despite the similarities of the two, each story manages to present unique treatments of the theme of independence through the authors’ development of the female protagonists and how they achieve and deal with their questionable independence. Luella’s dependency is similar to the dependency of a queen upon her faithful subjects. Although she has power over her those around her, like a queen over her constituents, she still fully relies on them to do everything for her. Contrapositioned to Luella’s queen-like dependency is Jane’s child-like dependency, where John and Mary take on the roles of Jane’s mother and father, and completely deny her any type of independence. Luella’s dependence deals with the issues of relying on others, and Jane’s dependence deals with the issue of freedom. Finally, as Luella readily accepts her dependence, Jane refuses to do so, by making that trip and crossing from dependence into independence through a power struggle within herself and with her husband. Freeman and Gilman, through their works, expose and confront the ideals of the passive and dependent woman upheld in the mind of the society in the late 1800’s.