comments on "The Yellow Wallpaper"

Perhaps on the surface, Charlotte Perkins Gilman's “the Yellow Wallpaper” is merely a story about a woman with a declining psychological condition. However, a more meticulous examination of this work reveals a great deal about the way women were regarded in this 17th century society. For instance, at the beginning of the story, the narrator mentions that she is ill; however, it seems that the men in her life, namely her husband and her brother, do not believe her. Throughout the story, John, the husband, regards the narrator as “silly” or irrational and pays little attention to her illness. This seems to represent the way women were thought of in that time. Furthermore, the relationship between the narrator and her husband appears to more closely imitate the relationship between a parent and child, than between a husband and wife. For example, the narrator states that she could not speak upon noticing John’s “stern, reproachful look.” Moreover, John speaks to his wife as if she is a child, such as asking her, “What is it little girl?” This type of patronizing language seems repressive and disrespectful, comparable to calling all women “sweetheart” or “darling” nowadays. Additionally, the attic room with the barred windows, the immobile bed and “infuriating” wallpaper are further symbols of this woman’s oppression. The attic room seems reminiscent of fairytales such as “Rapunzel,” in which a young girl is locked in tower by a dominating force. The barred windows and the immovable bed appear to reinforce this idea that the narrator has been locked up, or trapped. Perhaps this notion will help to explain the woman in the wallpaper. Whether or not the woman in the wallpaper is seen as a hallucination, it seems clear that the narrator strongly identifies with her. It is also interesting to note that the woman only appears to be stuck behind bars in the moonlight, when the narrator’s husband is home. Furthermore, as time goes on, the narrator prefers to look at the wallpaper at night because during the day, the pattern is “tiring and perplexing.” It appears the narrator is being trained to accept her position “behind bars” as a prisoner of her husband and society, as it is simpler than delving into the perplexities of the woman who creeps freely by daylight. However, eventually, the narrator liberates herself and appropriately, her husband faints, as the narrator has crashed through all the boundaries.