The Yellow Wallpaper
"The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, tells a story of a woman's struggle in a patriarchal society, during postpartum. Her main oppressor is her husband John, "a physician of high standing." Since she is his wife, he has to maintain that he is in charge of the situation, he removes her from her home, a place where women generally feel at ease, to an alleged resting-place in a "colonial mansion." After all, "one's own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency-what is one to do?" This statement shows her sense of powerlessness of the situation and her life in general. Sadly, her brother, who is also a physician in high standing, feels the same as John. Although she feels "that there is something queer about" the "colonial mansion" that they are residing in for the summer, she is laughed at and forced to stay. This supports the theory that the female voice is not valued much. Like other women, she has grown to expect that sort of treatment, and does not think anything of it. There is reason behind her feelings; mansions are generally in exclusive locations and
" The room is decorated in "yellow wallpaper," which happens to be symbolic of the narrator and what she represents. It is hard for him to accept that she is empowered. Jennie symbolizes everything that has broken her down. She can finally categorized the smell that she smells. John suggests that because he is a doctor, that he knows what is best. "Yellow," symbolizes the same traits of inferiority and cowardice. The only thing [she] can think of that it is like the color of the paper! A yellow smell. She describes the paper as being "stripped off" in great pieces. and worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars! The outside pattern, I mean, and the woman behind it is as plain as can be. She is no longer defined, because she is unable to express herself at her will, in the patriarchal society in which she lives. So, it is not a surprise that she would identify with expression on paper, "the yellow wallpaper.
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Acceptance Essays
