Analyzing texts and images from publications of the “Yellow Nineties” is important in gaining deeper insight into the culture, opinions, and general lifestyles that were accepted at this time. To understand gender relations of the 1890’s one must look not only at what appears in the publications but also the reception from the public.To fully comprehend the feelings toward the 'New Woman' and the decline of male dominance one must acknowledge the various expressions and reactions revolving gender relations. In analysing the chosen text and image from The Yellow Book, one must also consider the avant-garde and progressive nature of the magazine. This approach is significant because through deciphering multiple interpretations and responses to the ‘New Women’ in a popular publication, the controversial nature of gender relations becomes more tangible. 

Her painting for The Yellow Book, appropriately titled “The Yellow Book”, fits with the overall playfulness of much of the Quarterly’s work and contributors. The self-referential nature of the image, as suggested by the title, supposes a satirical aspect to the work. In the aesthetic domestic setting, represented by the décor of Japanese fans (Kooistra & Denisoff 2), the man is holding out the Yellow Book to the modest woman whose posture is facing away from him but she is looking down slyly at the book and blushing.

Since The Yellow Book held some status amongst its upper middle class readership, its avant-garde nature was acceptable and therefore so was some of its more progressive content. As Linda Hughes argues in her article “Women Poets and Contested Spaces in The Yellow Book”, not only was this Quarterly great for female contributors to share their more edgy pieces but it was also tailored to female readership as much as it was for men (15).  Hammond’s image seems to be securing this thought, promoting to women that this is a book for them too. Perhaps this is why the man in the image is showing her the book, to prove that even men think women should read it, and although she looks timid about it, her blushing exposes that something in it appeals to her. The Yellow Book and its female contributors, who are writing and creating images of Decadence, sexuality, and New Women narratives, are encouraging the female readership to become more independent and active in their society. 

            Henry Harland, the man behind the pseudonym of Robert Shews, is praised for his contributions to The Yellow Book and for his other books such as “The Lady Paramount” and “The Cardinal’s Snuff Box” (New Books: The Lady Paramount 1). His stories are described as charming, usually centering women of titled status (1). As literary editor he began to publish near equal amounts of female and male contributors by Volume 4 of The Yellow Book (Hughes 14). Needless to say, he had no outward negative opinions of New Women, whose pieces he decided to publish. Since many of these works concerned female sexuality or independence, Harland would be assumed to support this message or at least not to publicly criticize it. The fictional short story, “The Elsingfords” therefore confuses the reader upon discovery that Shews is actually in fact Henry Harland. The story depicts a most terrible representation of its female main character.

The story bashes marriage, female dominance, America, and England all at once. The only answer one could propose for the oddity of the gender relations shown and the overt stereotyping is that the story is a satirical narrative. Hennie Blecks name alone seems ripe with exaggerated negative connotations; Hennie meaning “resembling a hen or a rooster that acts like a hen” (Collins English Dictionary) and bleck meaning “black grease” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Hennie is accused of “hen-pecking” in the story and is the dominant figure in the marriage, making all the decisions, being social without her husband, and constantly reiterating that he “be a man” (Harland 119). There is a reversal of domesticity in the story, as Hennie is always with her American friends and Herbert, being sick, is isolated and never leaves the house or his bedroom, never seeing anyone. Hence, he takes the “female domestic” role and she inhabits the “male social” role (Hamlet & Wiggins 710). There are multiple instances in which Herbert is considered feminine and Hennie as the masculine one who is feared. Harland’s entire story revolves around the dislike and consequences of Hennie’s loudness, crudeness, opinions, and lack of domesticity. This paints a severe image of a New Woman, who is more independent, opinionated, liberated, and involved in social and cultural projects than men (Bell 83). Harland seems to be making a satire of the extreme oppositions to New Women by accentuating all the qualities that are feared by those who do not support it.