Convention and Resistance: The Story Behind The Yellow Wallpaper
             In "The Yellow Wallpaper", a story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the conflict centers around the narrator's inability to maintain her sanity in a society that does not recognize her as an individual, but as a woman. The convention and resistance displayed in the story is mainly caused by the society's view of women during the 19th century. The narrator's husband and brother both exert their own will over hers, forcing her to conform to their impression of an appropriate code of behavior for a sick woman, which is pre-set by society and their view on the role of women. In the nineteenth century, women in literature were often portrayed as submissive to men. Literature of the period often characterized women as oppressed by society, as well as by the male influences in their lives. The Yellow Wallpaper presents the tragic story of a woman's descent into depression and madness. The narrator's declining mental health is reflected through the characteristics of the house she is trapped in and her husband, while trying to protect her, is actually destroying her. However, the story itself presents an interesting look at one woman's struggle to deal with both physical and mental confinement. This theme is particularly thought-provoking when read in today's context where individual freedom is one of our most cherished rights. The descriptive elements in The Yellow Wallpaper do a tremendous amount towards enhancing the reader's perception of the particular kind of insanity that afflicts the narrator. The descriptions, most notably of the wallpaper itself, are multi-sensory, artful and detailed. Using metaphorical images, and surprising combinations of words, the narrator gives numerous ways for readers to experience the wallpaper. These descriptive elements allow a vast array of possible perceptions for the reader to ponder upon, which in turn allow for multi-angled and...