In the late nineteenth century, women were expected to behave properly and be subservient. Their expected roles were to bear children, create a nurturing home for their children and care for the needs of the men. "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is a story of a women's struggle for independence in a society, which that was not allowed. The narrator is an intelligent and creative woman who is forbidden to "work" until she is well again. The narrator is in a deep depression after the birth of her child. As a result, her husband, John, forces the narrator to bed rest and isolation. John suggests they move to a colonial mansion for the three months it will take for their house to be repaired. The room that the narrator is confided in is not appealing to her, "I don't like our room a bit"(329). In the story the wallpaper in her bedroom is an important symbol as is the woman behind it. The narrator's thoughts of the wallpaper tell a great deal of her thoughts about the situation she is in. The wallpaper is a representation of how the narrator conforms according to society's standards. As the story progresses, the reader can recognize a growing strength and boldness in the narrator's language, which points to her gaining a forceful sense of self, a defiance of the restrictions placed on her, and an ultimate victory over the stifling Victorian attitudes of her time.
             In the beginning of the story the narrator hates the wallpaper, "I never saw a worse paper in my life"(329). The narrator is implying that she disapproves of the way society views women and their roles. The narrator struggles with herself and John about the way she wants to live her life, and what she believes is best for her. John merely regards her as a woman whose opinions, and feelings are irrelevant. Her echo of helplessness, "but what is one to do" results from a ...