the yellow wallpaper conflict essay

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Analysis of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wall-Paper

By NASRULLAH MAMBROL on April 28, 2022

First published in New England Magazine in January 1892, and reprinted by Small, Maynard and Company as a chapbook (1899), “The Yellow Wall-Paper” is Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s most famous work. Depicting the nervous breakdown of a young wife and mother, the story is a potent example of psychological realism. Based loosely on Gilman’s own experiences in undergoing the rest cure for neurasthenia, the story documents the psychological torment of her fictional first-person narrator.

The narrator’s husband, John, a physician, prescribes isolation and inactivity as treatment for her illness, a “temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency” (10). John forbids her to engage in any kind of labor, including writing. Despite his admonitions, however, the narrator records her impressions in a secret diary.

Granger Historical Picture Archive/Alamy Stock Photo

These diary entries compose the text of the story; they reveal the narrator’s emotional descent. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that she is suffering an acute form of postpartum depression, a condition acknowledged neither by John nor by the late-19th-century medical community. So severe is the narrator’s depression that a nursemaid has assumed care of the new baby. Deprived of the freedom to write openly, which she believes would be therapeutic, the narrator gradually shifts her attention to the yellow wallpaper in the attic nursery where she spends her time. The paper both intrigues and repels her; it becomes the medium on which she symbolically inscribes her “text.” Soon she detects a subpattern in the wallpaper that crystallizes into the image of an imprisoned woman attempting to escape. In the penultimate scene, the narrator’s identity merges with that of the entrapped woman, and together they frantically tear the paper from the walls. In an ironic reversal in the final scene, John breaks into the room and, after witnessing the full measure of his wife’s insanity, faints. Significantly, however, he is still blocking his wife, literally and symbolically obstructing her path so that she has to “creep over him every time!” (36).

Critics disagree over the meaning of the story, variously arguing the significance of everything from linguistic cues, to psychoanalytic interpretations, to historiographical readings. While some critics have hailed the narrator as a feminist heroine, others have seen in her a maternal failure coupled with a morbid fear of female sexuality. Some have viewed the story, with its yellow paper, as an exemplar of the silencing of women writers in 19th-century America; others have focused on its gothic elements.

Since the Feminist Press reissued the story in 1973, “The Yellow Wall-Paper” has been widely anthologized and is now firmly assimilated in the American literary body of work.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wall-paper. Boston: Small, Maynard, & Co., 1899. Reprint, Old Westbury, N.Y.: Feminist Press, 1973. Lanser, Susan A. “Feminist Criticism, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’ and the Politics of Color in America.” Feminist Studies 15, no. 3 (Fall 1989): 415–441. Shumaker, Conrad. “ ‘Too Terribly Good to Be Printed’: Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’ ” American Literature 57, no. 4 (1985): 588–599. Veeder, William. “Who Is Jane? The Intricate Feminism of Charlotte Perkins Gilman.” Arizona Quarterly 44, no. 3 (1988): 40–79.

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Understanding The Yellow Wallpaper: Summary and Analysis

General Education

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s classic short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" tells the story of a young woman’s gradual descent into psychosis. " The Yellow Wallpaper" is often cited as an early feminist work that predates a woman’s right to vote in the United States. The author was involved in first-wave feminism, and her other works questioned the origins of the subjugation of women, particularly in marriage. "

The Yellow Wallpaper" is a widely read work that asks difficult questions about the role of women, particularly regarding their mental health and right to autonomy and self-identity. We’ll go over The Yellow Wallpaper summary, themes and symbols, The Yellow Wallpaper analysis, and some important information about the author.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" Summary

"The Yellow Wallpaper" details the deterioration of a woman's mental health while she is on a "rest cure" on a rented summer country estate with her family. Her obsession with the yellow wallpaper in her bedroom marks her descent into psychosis from her depression throughout the story.

The narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" begins the story by discussing her move to a beautiful estate for the summer. Her husband, John, is also her doctor , and the move is meant in part to help the narrator overcome her “illness,” which she explains as nervous depression, or nervousness, following the birth of their baby. John’s sister, Jennie, also lives with them and works as their housekeeper.

Though her husband believes she will get better with rest and by not worrying about anything, the narrator has an active imagination and likes to write . He discourages her wonder about the house, and dismisses her interests. She mentions her baby more than once, though there is a nurse that cares for the baby, and the narrator herself is too nervous to provide care.

The narrator and her husband move into a large room that has ugly, yellow wallpaper that the narrator criticizes. She asks her husband if they can change rooms and move downstairs, and he rejects her. The more she stays in the room, the more the narrator’s fascination with the hideous wallpaper grows.

After hosting family for July 4th, the narrator expresses feeling even worse and more exhausted. She struggles to do daily activities, and her mental state is deteriorating. John encourages her to rest more, and the narrator hides her writing from him because he disapproves.

In the time between July 4th and their departure, the narrator is seemingly driven insane by the yellow wallpaper ; she sleeps all day and stays up all night to stare at it, believing that it comes alive, and the patterns change and move. Then, she begins to believe that there is a woman in the wallpaper who alters the patterns and is watching her.

A few weeks before their departure, John stays overnight in town and the narrator wants to sleep in the room by herself so she can stare at the wallpaper uninterrupted. She locks out Jennie and believes that she can see the woman in the wallpaper . John returns and frantically tries to be let in, and the narrator refuses; John is able to enter the room and finds the narrator crawling on the floor. She claims that the woman in the wallpaper has finally exited, and John faints, much to her surprise.

Background on "The Yellow Wallpaper"

The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, was a lecturer for social reform, and her beliefs and philosophy play an important part in the creation of "The Yellow Wallpaper," as well as the themes and symbolism in the story. "The Yellow Wallpaper" also influenced later feminist writers.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, known as Charlotte Perkins Stetsman while she was married to her first husband, was born in Hartford, CT in 1860. Young Charlotte was observed as being bright, but her mother wasn’t interested in her education, and Charlotte spent lots of time in the library.

Charlotte married Charles Stetsman in 1884, and her daughter was born in 1885. She suffered from serious postpartum depression after giving birth to their daughter, Katharine. Her battle with postpartum depression and the doctors she dealt with during her illness inspired her to write "The Yellow Wallpaper."

The couple separated in 1888, the year that Perkins Gilman wrote her first book, Art Gems for the Home and Fireside. She later wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" in 1890, while she was in a relationship with Adeline Knapp, and living apart from her legal husband. "The Yellow Wallpaper" was published in 1892, and in 1893 she published a book of satirical poetry , In This Our World, which gained her fame.

Eventually, Perkins Gilman got officially divorced from Stetsman, and ended her relationship with Knapp. She married her cousin, Houghton Gilman, and claimed to be satisfied in the marriage .

Perkins Gilman made a living as a lecturer on women’s issues, labor issues, and social reform . She toured Europe and the U.S. as a lecturer, and founded her own magazine, The Forerunner.

Publication

"The Yellow Wallpaper" was first published in January 1892 in New England Magazine.

During Perkins Gilman's lifetime, the role of women in American society was heavily restricted both socially and legally. At the time of its publication, women were still twenty-six years away from gaining the right to vote .

This viewpoint on women as childish and weak meant that they were discouraged from having any control over their lives. Women were encouraged or forced to defer to their husband’s opinions in all aspects of life , including financially, socially, and medically. Writing itself was revolutionary, since it would create a sense of identity, and was thought to be too much for the naturally fragile women.

Women's health was a particularly misunderstood area of medicine, as women were viewed as nervous, hysterical beings, and were discouraged from doing anything to further “upset” them. The prevailing wisdom of the day was that rest would cure hysteria, when in reality the constant boredom and lack of purpose likely worsened depression .

Perkins Gilman used her own experience in her first marriage and postpartum depression as inspiration for The Yellow Wallpaper, and illustrates how a woman’s lack of autonomy is detrimental to her mental health.

Upon its publication, Perkins Gilman sent a copy of "The Yellow Wallpaper" to the doctor who prescribed her the rest cure for her postpartum depression.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" Characters

Though there are only a few characters in the story, they each have an important role. While the story is about the narrator’s mental deterioration, the relationships in her life are essential for understanding why and how she got to this point.

The Narrator

The narrator of the story is a young, upper-middle-class woman. She is imaginative and a natural writer, though she is discouraged from exploring this part of herself. She is a new mother and is thought to have “hysterical tendencies” or suffer from nervousness. Her name may be Jane but it is unclear.

John is the narrator’s husband and her physician. He restricts her activity as a part of her treatment. John is extremely practical, and belittles the narrator's imagination and feelings . He seems to care about her well-being, but believes he knows what is best for her and doesn't allow her input.

Jennie is John’s sister, who works as a housekeeper for the couple. Jennie seems concerned for the narrator, as indicated by her offer to sleep in the yellow wallpapered room with her. Jennie seems content with her domestic role .

Main Themes of "The Yellow Wallpaper"

From what we know about the author of this story and from interpreting the text, there are a few themes that are clear from a "Yellow Wallpaper" analysis. "The Yellow Wallpaper" was a serious piece of literature that addressed themes pertinent to women.

Women's Role in Marriage

Women were expected to be subordinate to their husbands and completely obedient, as well as take on strictly domestic roles inside the home . Upper middle class women, like the narrator, may go for long periods of time without even leaving the home. The story reveals that this arrangement had the effect of committing women to a state of naïveté, dependence, and ignorance.

John assumes he has the right to determine what’s best for his wife, and this authority is never questioned. He belittles her concerns, both concrete and the ones that arise as a result of her depression , and is said so brush her off and “laugh at her” when she speaks through, “this is to be expected in marriage” He doesn’t take her concerns seriously, and makes all the decisions about both of their lives.

As such, she has no say in anything in her life, including her own health, and finds herself unable to even protest.

Perkins Gilman, like many others, clearly disagreed with this state of things, and aimed to show the detrimental effects that came to women as a result of their lack of autonomy.

Identity and Self-Expression

Throughout the story, the narrator is discouraged from doing the things she wants to do and the things that come naturally to her, like writing. On more than one occasion, she hurries to put her journal away because John is approaching .

She also forces herself to act as though she’s happy and satisfied, to give the illusion that she is recovering, which is worse. She wants to be a good wife, according to the way the role is laid out for her, but struggles to conform especially with so little to actually do.

The narrator is forced into silence and submission through the rest cure, and desperately needs an intellectual and emotional outlet . However, she is not granted one and it is clear that this arrangement takes a toll.

The Rest Cure

The rest cure was commonly prescribed during this period of history for women who were “nervous.” Perkins Gilman has strong opinions about the merits of the rest cure , having been prescribed it herself. John’s insistence on the narrator getting “air” constantly, and his insistence that she do nothing that requires mental or physical stimulation is clearly detrimental.

The narrator is also discouraged from doing activities, whether they are domestic- like cleaning or caring for her baby- in addition to things like reading, writing, and exploring the grounds of the house. She is stifled and confined both physically and mentally, which only adds to her condition .

Perkins Gilman damns the rest cure in this story, by showing the detrimental effects on women, and posing that women need mental and physical stimulation to be healthy, and need to be free to make their own decisions over health and their lives.

The Yellow Wallpaper Analysis: Symbols and Symbolism

Symbols are a way for the author to give the story meaning, and provide clues as to the themes and characters. There are two major symbols in "The Yellow Wallpaper."

The Yellow Wallpaper

This is of course the most important symbol in the story. The narrator is immediately fascinated and disgusted by the yellow wallpaper, and her understanding and interpretation fluctuates and intensifies throughout the story.

The narrator, because she doesn’t have anything else to think about or other mental stimulation, turns to the yellow wallpaper as something to analyze and interpret. The pattern eventually comes into focus as bars, and then she sees a woman inside the pattern . This represents feeling trapped.

At the end of the story, the narrator believes that the woman has come out of the wallpaper. This indicates that the narrator has finally merged fully into her psychosis , and become one with the house and domesticated discontent.

Though Jennie doesn’t have a major role in the story, she does present a foil to the narrator. Jennie is John’s sister and their housekeeper, and she is content, or so the narrator believes, to live a domestic life. Though she does often express her appreciation for Jennie’s presence in her home, she is clearly made to feel guilty by Jennie’s ability to run the household unencumbered .

Irony in The Yellow Wallpaper

"The Yellow Wallpaper" makes good use of dramatic and situational irony. Dramatic literary device in which the reader knows or understands things that the characters do not. Situational irony is when the character’s actions are meant to do one thing, but actually do another. Here are a few examples.

For example, when the narrator first enters the room with the yellow wallpaper, she believes it to be a nursery . However, the reader can clearly see that the room could have just as easily been used to contain a mentally unstable person.

The best example of situational irony is the way that John continues to prescribe the rest-cure, which worsens the narrator's state significantly. He encourages her to lie down after meals and sleep more, which causes her to be awake and alert at night, when she has time to sit and evaluate the wallpaper.

The Yellow Wallpaper Summary

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is one of the defining works of feminist literature. Writing about a woman’s health, mental or physical, was considered a radical act at the time that Perkins Gilman wrote this short story. Writing at all about the lives of women was considered at best, frivolous, and at worst dangerous. When you take a look at The Yellow Wallpaper analysis, the story is an important look into the role of women in marriage and society, and it will likely be a mainstay in the feminist literary canon.

What's Next?

Looking for more expert guides on literary classics? Read our guides on The Cask of Amontillado and The Great Gatsby .

Need important and interesting quotes? Check out these 18 To Kill a Mockingbird Quotes and 9 Great Mark Twain Quotes .

For help analyzing literature and writing essays , read our expert guide on imagery , literary elements , and writing an argumentative essay .

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Carrie holds a Bachelors in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College, and is currently pursuing an MFA. She worked in book publishing for several years, and believes that books can open up new worlds. She loves reading, the outdoors, and learning about new things.

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Themes of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ Explained

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is an 1892 short story by the American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman. A powerful study of mental illness and the inhuman treatments administered in its name, the story explores a number of ‘big’ themes and ideas. Let’s take a look at some of the key themes of the story.

First, however, let’s briefly summarise the plot of the story: the narrator and her husband John, a doctor, have come to stay at a large country house. As the story develops, we realise that the woman’s husband has brought her to the house in order to try to cure her of her mental illness. His proposed (well, enforced ) treatment is to lock his wife away from everyone except him, and to withhold everything from her that might excite her.

It becomes clear, as the story develops, that depriving the female narrator of anything to occupy her mind is making her mental illness worse, not better. The narrator outlines to us how she sometimes sits for hours in her room, tracing the patterns in the yellow wallpaper on the walls of her room.

She then tells us she thinks she can see a woman ‘stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern.’ She becomes obsessed with the wallpaper as her mental state deteriorates, before eventually locking herself within the room and crawling around on the floor.

Mental Illness.

Perhaps the most important theme of Gilman’s story is the narrator’s mental illness, which is present from the beginning of the story and gradually worsens as her narrative develops. Having the narrator tell her own story and provide her own observations in the form of a diary means we have unfiltered access to her thoughts and moods, and this can make parts of the story uncomfortable reading.

Gilman is obviously suggesting that the narrator’s husband, John – who as both a man and a qualified doctor is expected to ‘know what’s best’ for his wife – is misguided in his belief that rest and withdrawal from society, including her own family, is what his wife needs to improve her mental state.

At one point in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’, the narrator mentions Weir Mitchell , who was a real person: a neurologist who viewed depression in women as a disorder of their nerves, or as ‘hysteria’ (a term which itself began as gendered: it comes from the ancient Greek word for ‘womb’, because only women were thought to suffer from the condition). Intellectual stimulation was frowned upon, and prolonged periods of rest were prescribed.

But although we can view the narrator’s madness as a tragic outcome of her husband’s misguided belief in his psychological, rational, and scientific approach to her illness, it is possible also to view the narrator’s ‘descent’ into madness as a perverse kind of liberation for her. In triumphantly asserting to John, ‘I’ve got out at last … in spite of you and Jane’, the narrator is taking back a form of control over her surroundings.

And given the gender dynamics at play in the story, we also need to engage with another key theme in the story: gender itself.

Women in Society.

In the late nineteenth century in the United States, women were still often dependent on men both financially and socially. John’s strict control over his wife’s behaviour and confinement needs to be understood (though not necessarily condoned) in this context.

Of course, it is worth bearing in mind the context of the narrator’s depression, too: it is postpartum depression – that is, depression that follows giving birth to her son. She has fulfilled the duty of a wife and mother, as nineteenth century society dictates, but the experience has left her suffering from depression.

It is also clear from the narrator’s diary that her own views about herself have been heavily shaped by the men in her life: not only her husband but also her brother. It is clear that she would like to keep writing to help her through her depression, but she is forbidden to do so, on the grounds that it would make her mental state worse.

Of course, there is something symbolic – when we analyse ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ from a feminist perspective, as many critics have – about the female narrator being forbidden to write or express herself. And there is something quietly triumphant about the fact that she goes ahead and writes her journal despite being told not to do so.

Related to this theme of gender and the place of women in society is the theme of marriage, which is central to ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ given the narrator’s marriage to John and his strict orders concerning what his wife is and is not allowed to do.

It is revealing that John often views and treats his wife not so much like a fellow adult as like a child: at one point, he even calls her a ‘little girl’. This belittling language indicates that, well-meaning though he might be, John also does not view his wife as his equal, intellectually or emotionally. She is weak and delicate and needs to be told what to do, for her own protection.

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The Yellow Wallpaper

Charlotte perkins gilman.

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Mental Illness and its Treatment

Reading the series of diary entries that make up the story, the reader is in a privileged position to witness the narrator’s evolving and accelerating descent into madness, foreshadowed by her mounting paranoia and obsession with the mysterious figure behind the pattern of the yellow wallpaper.

As the portrayal of a woman’s gradual mental breakdown, The Yellow Wallpaper offers the reader a window into the perception and treatment of mental illness in the late nineteenth…

Gender Roles and Domestic Life

Alongside its exploration of mental illness, The Yellow Wallpaper offers a critique of traditional gender roles as they were defined during the late nineteenth century, the time in which the story is set and was written. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was a prominent feminist, who rejected the trappings of traditional domestic life and published extensively about the role of women in society, and saw the gender roles of the time as horribly stifling.

The story’s family…

Outward Appearance vs. Inner Life

Another major theme in the story lies in the contradiction between outward appearance and inner life.

The story’s form, in a series of diary entries, gives the reader a glimpse into its writer’s inner life. This, in turn, allows us to watch as the narrator’s husband misinterprets her condition, and as she begins to consciously deceive both him and Jennie . Our privileged view into the narrator’s mind leads to an appreciation of the sarcasm …

Self-Expression, Miscommunication, and Misunderstanding

Alongside questions of gender and mental illness in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is the simple story of a woman who is unable fully to express herself, or to find someone who will listen.

The narrator’s sense that the act of writing, which she has been forbidden to do, is exactly what she needs to feel better suggests this stifled self-expression. Since she is unable to communicate with her husband, this diary becomes a secret outlet for…

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Home — Guides — The Yellow Wallpaper — Delving into the Intricacies of The Yellow Wallpaper: A Comprehensive Literary Analysis

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

• Literary Devices
• Introduction
• All Plot summary
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The Yellow Wallpaper Literary Analysis

Table of contents, point of view, foreshadowing.

The conflict in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" is both internal and external. The protagonist of the story, the unnamed narrator, is struggling with her own mental health issues, while also facing external conflicts with her husband, John, and societal expectations of women during the time period in which the story is set.

The internal conflict the narrator faces is primarily driven by her declining mental health. She is suffering from what is likely postpartum depression , but her husband and brother, both doctors, have diagnosed her with a "temporary nervous depression" and have prescribed her the rest cure, which involves complete inactivity and isolation. The narrator's mind becomes increasingly fixated on the yellow wallpaper in her bedroom, which she sees as a symbol of her own entrapment. As she descends further into madness, she becomes more obsessed with the wallpaper and begins to see a woman trapped behind it. This symbolizes the narrator's own trapped and deteriorating state of mind.

The external conflict the narrator faces is primarily with her husband, John. While he is well-intentioned in trying to help her, he is also controlling and dismissive of her concerns. He condescends to her, infantilizes her, and disregards her wishes. He forbids her from working, writing, or doing anything other than resting, despite the fact that these activities might be beneficial to her mental health. His control over her is symbolized by the fact that he holds the key to the room where she is confined, and the narrator's inability to escape this confinement represents her lack of agency in her own life.

Additionally, the external conflict is also driven by societal expectations of women during the time period in which the story is set. The narrator is expected to be a submissive wife and mother, and any deviation from this role is seen as a threat to the social order. This is exemplified by the narrator's brother, who is also a doctor, and who believes that women's mental health issues are simply a result of their "nerves" and that they need to be kept in line by their husbands. The narrator's own struggles with her mental health are dismissed as hysteria, and she is not allowed to take control of her own treatment.

Overall, the conflict in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is driven by the narrator's internal struggles with her own mental health, as well as the external conflicts she faces with her husband and societal expectations of women. The story is a commentary on the treatment of women during the time period in which it was written, and it highlights the ways in which women's voices were silenced and their agency was taken away.

The setting in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman plays a crucial role in conveying the story's themes and establishing the atmosphere of the narrative. The setting of the story is confined to one room in a summer house, which serves as a symbol of the protagonist's confinement and isolation from the outside world. The room with the yellow wallpaper becomes an increasingly oppressive and sinister presence as the story progresses, reflecting the protagonist's deteriorating mental state.

The physical setting of the room with the yellow wallpaper is described in detail, emphasizing its stark and austere nature. The protagonist describes the room as having "barred windows" and "rings and things" in the walls, which suggest that the room was once used as a prison or asylum. This setting immediately creates a sense of confinement and isolation, as the protagonist is trapped in this room without any form of meaningful activity or human interaction.

The yellow wallpaper in the room serves as a symbol of the protagonist's deteriorating mental state. The wallpaper is described as having a "repellant, almost revolting" pattern, which the protagonist fixates on as she becomes increasingly obsessed with her surroundings. The pattern of the wallpaper is compared to "strangled heads" and "bulbous eyes," suggesting a sense of horror and oppression that reflects the protagonist's deteriorating mental state. The wallpaper becomes a physical manifestation of the protagonist's confinement and isolation, as she becomes increasingly fixated on it and sees patterns and images that others do not.

Moreover, the setting of the summer house and the surrounding environment also play an important role in the story. The protagonist's confinement to the summer house and the surrounding grounds creates a sense of isolation and detachment from the outside world. The setting is described as "quite alone, standing well back from the road," emphasizing the protagonist's isolation from society and the world at large.

The setting also serves as a reflection of the societal expectations and restrictions placed on women during the late 19th century. The summer house is described as a place of rest and recovery for women suffering from "temporary nervous depression," which was a common diagnosis for women at the time who were struggling with mental health issues. The rest cure prescribed for the protagonist reflects the societal expectations that women should be passive and submissive, and that their mental and emotional struggles were often dismissed or ignored.

In conclusion, the setting of "The Yellow Wallpaper" plays a crucial role in conveying the story's themes and establishing the atmosphere of the narrative. The room with the yellow wallpaper serves as a symbol of the protagonist's confinement and isolation, while the surrounding environment reflects the societal expectations and restrictions placed on women during the late 19th century. The oppressive and sinister nature of the setting reflects the protagonist's deteriorating mental state and highlights the devastating consequences of denying women their autonomy and agency.

The point of view in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is first-person limited, as the story is told from the perspective of the protagonist, who is also the narrator. The use of this point of view is significant, as it allows the reader to experience the protagonist's mental deterioration and empathize with her struggles.

The use of first-person limited point of view allows the reader to see the world of the story through the protagonist's eyes, and to experience her thoughts, feelings, and perceptions. The reader is privy to the protagonist's internal struggles, including her increasing sense of isolation and detachment from the outside world, her obsession with the yellow wallpaper, and her growing sense of despair and hopelessness. This point of view allows the reader to feel a strong connection with the protagonist and to understand the depth of her suffering.

The first-person point of view is also significant in conveying the themes of the story, including the oppressive nature of societal expectations and gender roles, the devastating consequences of denying women their autonomy and agency, and the importance of self-expression and freedom. By experiencing the story through the protagonist's perspective, the reader is able to fully understand the extent to which the protagonist is confined and constrained by societal expectations and gender roles. The reader also witnesses the devastating consequences of denying women their autonomy and agency, as the protagonist's mental state deteriorates under the weight of her confinement and isolation.

The point of view also highlights the importance of self-expression and freedom, as the protagonist's struggle to express herself and assert her autonomy is at the heart of the story. Through the protagonist's internal monologue and the detailed descriptions of the yellow wallpaper, the reader sees the importance of self-expression and creative freedom as a means of maintaining mental health and emotional well-being. The protagonist's increasing obsession with the wallpaper reflects her growing desire for self-expression and agency, and her eventual triumph over the oppressive forces that have confined her is a testament to the importance of these values.

Finally, the use of first-person point of view is significant in creating a sense of tension and suspense throughout the story. As the protagonist's mental state deteriorates, the reader becomes increasingly invested in her plight and eager to see how she will escape her confinement. The use of this point of view allows the reader to experience the full impact of the story's twists and turns, and to fully appreciate the protagonist's eventual triumph over her oppressive circumstances.

In conclusion, the use of first-person limited point of view in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is significant in conveying the protagonist's internal struggles and highlighting the themes of the story. This point of view allows the reader to experience the story through the protagonist's perspective, creating a strong sense of empathy and investment in her plight. The use of this point of view also creates a sense of tension and suspense, making the story a gripping and powerful work of literature.

The use of tone in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is crucial to the overall impact and meaning of the story. Through the use of a complex and shifting tone, Gilman is able to create a sense of psychological tension and emotional intensity that is essential to the story's themes and effects.

At the beginning of the story, the tone is somewhat neutral and detached, as the protagonist describes the setting and her initial impressions of the house. However, as the story progresses, the tone becomes increasingly ominous and unsettling, reflecting the protagonist's growing sense of anxiety and disorientation. The protagonist's descriptions of the yellow wallpaper are particularly significant in this regard, as the tone shifts from detached observation to feverish obsession, mirroring the protagonist's own mental state.

The use of a shifting tone is also important in highlighting the story's themes, particularly the theme of oppression and confinement. The neutral and detached tone at the beginning of the story reflects the protagonist's initial acceptance of her situation, as she believes that her confinement is necessary for her health. However, as the story progresses, the tone becomes increasingly oppressive and suffocating, reflecting the protagonist's growing sense of confinement and powerlessness. The use of this shifting tone highlights the insidious nature of oppression and confinement, and the devastating effects that they can have on a person's mental and emotional well-being.

In addition to creating a sense of psychological tension and highlighting the story's themes, the use of tone is also significant in creating a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty. Throughout the story, the reader is never quite sure what is real and what is imagined, and the shifting tone contributes to this sense of ambiguity. The reader is forced to question whether the protagonist is really experiencing the events of the story or whether they are all in her mind. The use of tone is crucial in creating this sense of uncertainty, as it reflects the protagonist's own confusion and disorientation.

Finally, the use of tone is significant in creating a sense of emotional intensity and impact. The story's final scenes are particularly powerful, as the protagonist breaks free from her confinement and embraces her own autonomy and agency. The tone shifts from oppressive and suffocating to triumphant and empowering, reflecting the protagonist's own sense of liberation and empowerment. The use of tone in these final scenes is essential in conveying the emotional impact of the story, and in leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

In conclusion, the use of tone in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is crucial to the overall impact and meaning of the story. Through the use of a shifting and complex tone, Gilman is able to create a sense of psychological tension and emotional intensity that is essential to the story's themes and effects. The use of tone also contributes to the story's sense of ambiguity and uncertainty, and is essential in creating a sense of emotional impact and leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a story that is rich in symbolism. From the wallpaper to the locked room, the story is full of images that serve as powerful symbols of the protagonist's mental and emotional state. In this section, the major sources of symbolism in The Yellow Wallpaper are explained in detail.

The Yellow Wallpaper

The most obvious and powerful symbol in the story is the yellow wallpaper itself. At first, the protagonist describes the wallpaper as "repellent, almost revolting," and she is initially repulsed by it. However, as she becomes more and more obsessed with it, the wallpaper takes on new meaning. The wallpaper comes to represent the protagonist's own confinement and oppression, as she is trapped within the room just as the figure in the wallpaper is trapped within the pattern. The wallpaper also represents the protagonist's own mental and emotional state, as the twisting, chaotic pattern mirrors the protagonist's own increasingly fragmented and disturbed psyche.

The smell is also an important element of the yellow wallpaper symbolism in the story. The protagonist describes the smell as "fungus" and "musty," which are both unpleasant and potentially dangerous. The smell of the wallpaper represents the protagonist's own deteriorating mental and emotional state, as she becomes increasingly obsessed with the wallpaper and begins to lose touch with reality.

The Locked Room

The locked room is also one of the most powerful symbols in The Yellow Wallpaper . The room represents the protagonist's own confinement and isolation, as she is cut off from the rest of the world and denied any agency or autonomy. The room also represents the patriarchal society that the protagonist is trapped within, as she is prevented from exercising her own will or making her own decisions.

The bed is another important symbol in the story. The bed represents the protagonist's own entrapment and confinement, as she is forced to spend most of her time lying in bed. The bed also represents the protagonist's own submission to patriarchal authority, as she is forced to rely on her husband and the "rest cure" that he has prescribed for her.

The Moonlight

The moonlight that shines through the window is a symbol of hope and freedom. The protagonist describes the moonlight as "barred" and "shut out," just like she is. However, as the story progresses and the protagonist becomes more and more determined to break free from her confinement, the moonlight takes on new meaning. The moonlight comes to represent the protagonist's own desire for freedom and autonomy, and her determination to break free from the oppressive forces that have been holding her back.

In conclusion, "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a story that is full of powerful symbols that serve to deepen the story's themes and impact. From the yellow wallpaper to the moonlight, each symbol in the story has its own unique significance and contributes to the overall meaning of the story. Through the use of these symbols, Gilman is able to create a powerful and haunting portrait of a woman struggling against the forces of oppression and confinement.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story that is celebrated for its use of imagery to portray the psychological deterioration of the protagonist. The story is set in a secluded country house where a woman suffering from a nervous condition is confined by her physician husband to a single room. As the story progresses, the protagonist becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in her room, and the imagery associated with it takes on a symbolic significance that reflects the character's descent into madness.

One of the most striking images in the story is the yellow wallpaper itself. At first, the protagonist sees the wallpaper as merely "dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study." However, as she becomes more fixated on it, she sees a woman trapped behind the pattern, desperately trying to escape. This imagery of a trapped woman becomes a metaphor for the protagonist's own imprisonment and feelings of helplessness.

Another important image is the pattern of the wallpaper, which the protagonist describes as "an interminable string of toadstools, budding and sprouting in endless convolutions." The use of the word "interminable" emphasizes the oppressive nature of the pattern, which seems to go on endlessly and without purpose. The toadstools themselves are a symbol of decay and madness, which are themes that permeate the story.

The imagery of the barred windows in the protagonist's room also contributes to the overall sense of imprisonment and confinement. The windows serve as a physical reminder of the character's isolation and helplessness, and the protagonist often compares herself to a prisoner trapped in a cell.

The use of imagery in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is powerful because it allows the reader to see the world through the protagonist's increasingly distorted and fragmented perspective. The images of the wallpaper, the toadstools, and the barred windows all contribute to a sense of claustrophobia and entrapment that is central to the story's themes of confinement and madness.

Overall, the use of imagery in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a crucial aspect of the story's effectiveness. Through vivid and powerful descriptions of the wallpaper, the toadstools, and the barred windows, the author creates a world that is suffocating and oppressive, and the reader is drawn into the protagonist's increasingly unstable mind. Ultimately, the imagery serves to underscore the story's critique of the medical establishment and its treatment of women, and highlights the ways in which social norms and gender roles can contribute to mental illness.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a haunting short story that effectively uses foreshadowing to build tension and create a sense of dread. Foreshadowing is a literary device that hints at what will happen later in the story, and "The Yellow Wallpaper" is rich with examples of foreshadowing that contribute to the story's overall mood of psychological horror.

From the beginning of the story, the protagonist's nervous condition and her confinement to a single room are ominous signs that something is not right. The fact that her husband is a physician who believes he knows what is best for her, despite her protests, sets the stage for the eventual breakdown that the protagonist will experience. This early foreshadowing hints at the story's critique of the medical establishment and its treatment of women, and suggests that the protagonist's eventual madness is the result of her confinement and the lack of agency she is allowed.

As the story progresses, the protagonist's growing fixation on the yellow wallpaper in her room becomes increasingly troubling. She describes the wallpaper as "repellant, almost revolting," and the fact that she is so drawn to it is a clear indication that she is not well. The narrator's repeated descriptions of the wallpaper's pattern as "slanting waves" and "creeping" also hint at the story's eventual climax, in which the protagonist sees a woman trapped behind the pattern and becomes convinced that she must free her.

Another example of foreshadowing in The Yellow Wallpaper is the narrator's growing sense of paranoia and fear. As she becomes more obsessed with the wallpaper and more isolated from the outside world, she begins to imagine that the room is haunted and that there are other people watching her. Her fear and paranoia foreshadow the story's eventual descent into madness and delusion.

Finally, the use of the word "creeping" to describe the wallpaper's pattern is significant because it is also used to describe the protagonist's own mental state. The creeping wallpaper becomes a metaphor for the creeping madness that is slowly overtaking the protagonist, and the use of this word throughout the story is a clear indication of what is to come.

In conclusion, "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a masterful example of the use of foreshadowing to create tension and build suspense. From the story's opening scenes, the reader is given hints of what is to come, and the growing sense of unease and dread is palpable throughout. By using foreshadowing to hint at the story's eventual descent into madness and horror, Charlotte Perkins Gilman creates a powerful and unforgettable work of psychological horror.

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Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: Point of View Essay

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Introduction

The yellow wallpaper: narration, works cited.

Charlotte Perkins is a famous writer, journalist, and feminist. The Yellow Wallpaper is one of her short stories containing a feminist attitude characteristic of all her works.

In her numerous works, she consistently discusses the hierarchical status of women in society regarding patriarchy. The central theme in The Yellow Wallpaper is a restriction and subordination of women in domestic spheres. That is a consequence of male dominance in marriages. The first person’s point of view effectively illustrates this theme. Symbolism also emphasizes the subjugation of women in the story. This essay focuses on how the point of view in The Yellow Wallpaper helps to develop the theme.

Gilman points out the conventional setup of the nineteenth-century middle-class assumptions and attitudes towards marriages that prevent women from exercising their wishes and desires.

The theme of the short story is real because it is driven by the unfortunate events which occurred in Gilman’s life (Delashmit and Long 32).

Loss of identity for women among American households was a common scenario in American society in the nineteenth century. Women who wished to stabilize and express themselves did not get a listening ear.

The male-dominated society considered all female ideas invalid. Gilman’s story focuses on male dominance. She brings out her atrocious tale to explain what women face and how their husbands subject them to dictatorship.

Gilman tells her story using first-person narration. Through the means of it, the readers empathize with the Narrator as they follow the progression of the story. First-person narration helps one get a deeper comprehension of the storyline and language.

There is an epistolary style in the story because the Narrator gives the sequence of events as diary entries. The continual use of the pronoun ‘I’ makes the reader relate to the Narrator’s point of view. According to Hochman (89), first-person narration in The Yellow Wallpaper makes this story incredibly different. It distinguishes this story from other creative stories of that time.

Moreover, it is an immensely challenging task for Gilman to bring out the story from her point of view, disregarding possible negative critiques from literary critics and the masses. Gilman forms an insider’s perspective to this story, thus giving an autobiographical nature to the text. Hochman further explains that such achievements were significant in America during the 1890s (89).

The Narrator’s point of view connects with the central theme of the story. The story has a feminist approach that explores feminism and challenges male dominance in society that roots in most households. Men feel that they have every right to exercise authority over women. For example, Gilman’s husband does not accept any explanation from her and always imposes his will over her.

The Narrator’s point of view gives the reader a mental picture of the setting for the story. Gilman’s description of the rental mansion shows the beauty of the place. She uses words such as “there is a delicious garden” and “the most beautiful place” to emphasize this beauty.

However, she also contradicts her point of view by describing the mansion as “a colonial mansion, a hereditary estate.” These phrases indicate that Gilman believes that men have colonized the mansion since time immemorial. It also shows that men dominate a place meant for equal sharing by both genders.

Thrailkill (525) interprets that the luxuriousness of the mansion is heritable (goes by from one generation to the next). The Narrator depicts the relationship between her husband and her from the first-person narration. She admits that John laughs at her, a statement that indicates that she is a casualty of low self-esteem and exasperation. She is also the object of ridicule to her husband.

The Narrator’s perspective becomes more explicit when she strongly points out that she is aware of her “nervous condition,” meaning that she is also conscious as a writer to raise this issue from a feminist’s point of view. The Narrator’s point of view brings out sarcasm and irony as styles in the story. The Narrator says that she is glad that her case is not severe when her husband is away at the hospital for long periods.

This shows how ironic it is that Gilman’s husband is busy solving serious cases outside, while his wife is suffering from nervous depression. It is also ironic that her husband’s attempts to cure her leave her in a worse mental state even after following distinctive directions.

The yellow wallpaper in Gilman’s room metaphorically supports her idea of the effects of male dominance on women’s lives. Similarly, her life has turned out unpleasant and unattractive, like an “unclean yellow” (Quawas 35).

Symbolism is an imperative style in the story. Symbolism clarifies the underlying purpose behind the writing of the story. Symbolism also adds to the perspective that the story builds in the reader and the Narrator’s minds.

The yellow wallpaper in the story is symbolic of the suppressed emotions of the protagonist. The wallpaper is “ripped,” “soiled,” “unclean yellow,” “revolting,” and “formless sort of figures.” These descriptions of the wallpaper are symbolic of the shapeless and suffocating life that the Narrator leads.

It symbolizes a filled with life with harsh memories. “Soiled” symbolizes the burial act, thus representing the death of her ideal life. “Ghostly sub-pattern” is symbolic of the haunted life she leads guided by ghosts of the dead. It shows her desires relating to her fascination with writing and creativity. She wants to fly away from the cage of patriarchy.

The Narrator’s character undergoes self-realization, developing through the mindset of the reader. The use of the first-person narration in The Yellow Wallpaper shapes the strength of the main character.

The course of action that the Narrator anticipates taking concerning her subdued life develops her character in the course of the story (Subotsky 22).

The deeper she interprets the emotional patterns on the yellow wallpaper, the farther she moves from her own life. Her character develops when she realizes the pain suffered by her fellow women.

Delashmit, M. & Long, C. “Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’” The Explicator 50.1(1991):32. Print.

Hochman, B. “The Reading Habit and ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’.” American Literature 74.1 (2002): 89-110. Print.

Quawas, R. “A New Woman’s Journey into Insanity: Descent and Return in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper.’” AUMLA: Journal of the Australasian Universities Modern Language Association 105 (2006):35. Print.

Subotsky, F. “The Yellow Wallpaper (1892), Charlotte Perkins Gilman – Psychiatrists in 19th-century fiction.” The British Journal of Psychiatry 195.1:22. Print.

Thrailkill, J. “Doctoring ‘The yellow wallpaper.’” ELH 69.2 (2002): 525. Print.

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IvyPanda . 2019. "Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: Point of View." April 10, 2019. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-yellow-wallpaper-by-charlotte-perkins-gilman-2/.

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Bibliography

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