The play Gaslight, although not necessarily reflecting current history, reflects issues that were once a major problem in the past. This part of history would be the mistreatment of women, mainly from the psychological standpoint. In the play, Bella is severely abused psychologically and manipulated into thinking she has done things that she really hasn’t. This play, having been written in the 1930’s, portrays how women were treated in the time period as well as prior time periods—but not really in this day in age.
Instead of relating to contemporary issues in today’s society, Gaslight represents and reminds viewers how far women have come today in 2007. Even though psychological abuse still does take place, for the most part women have been empowered and are fee to live as equals to men. Bella’s actions in the end of the play, when she opens up the curtains that were closed by her husband Jack in the beginning, shows that she is starting to free herself from the psychological bonds of her husband and can live as a woman of her own mind, much like women live today. This play, and the treatment of Bella throughout makes viewers think about everything women were once put through and give women and sense of achievement of how much they have achieved over time.
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