The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a deceivingly simple story. The story follows a woman that suffers from post-partum depression and is taken to a "hereditary estate by her husband John, a physician, to recover. Instead of the quiet, peaceful time that was expected, she begins to delve deeper into insanity thanks to her cure. She is a prisoner, not able to do anything but stare at the wall. She becomes intrigued with the hideous yellow wallpaper covering her room. In the end, she completely loses grip on the reality surrounding her. When the story was first published, numerous first time readers interpreted it as gripping, disturbing entertainment, but little more. However, things arent that plain and simple. Gilman wrote a story that represents the weight of a patriarchal society that still remains in this day and age. The setting and characters provide evidence for this particular idea. These factors had a major influence on the protagonists path towards mental instability.
One of the important aspects of the setting was the time period in which it was written. The nineteenth century was a time when men were considered superior. Women faced social, economic, and freedom barriers which prevented them from getting the rights everyone rightly deserves. In the opening line, the character puts forward that her husband and her follow the normal patriarchal order of that time by telling the reader they are mere ordinary people. Both characters show us how truly ordinary they are from the behavior they exhibit. They stick to their roles as male and female. During this time, mens interests and efforts benefitted the most important gender, the male. A perfect example is when the protagonist feels there is something strange about the house. Her husband shows no support and responds by saying it was a draught, and shut the window. This captures the lack of interest men seemed to have on a womens opinion.
One can see John never seems to take his wifes concerns seriously. At one time, his wife even states I suppose John never was nervous in his life. He laughs at me so about this wall-paper! This shows his lack of caring for his wifes feelings. The society during this time makes John believe he is number one. He shows his hierarchy approach and self-interest on numerous occasions. For instance, he says I beg of you, for my sake and for our child's sake, as well as for your own". Immediately, John sheds the husband role and becomes strictly a physician proven by the quote Can you not trust me as a physician when I tell you so?" John has a selfish attitude where everyone is working for his comfort. He is a controlling dictator who "hardly lets me stir without special direction"
The Yellow Wallpaper is hardly straightforward. Symbolism plays an extremely critical role in the narrative. John represents a typical man during that era. Through his actions and attitude, he continually shows the reader that his wife is less than he is. He is seen as the authority figure by the reader. Not only is he the man in charge, he is a doctor which represents even more power. This is shown perfectly by the main characters thoughts, If a physician of high standing, and 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? He obviously doesnt treat his wife as an equal, preferring to treat her more like a child. "What is it, little girl?" he says. "Don't go walking about like that -- you'll get cold." What John the physician and husband says, stands. He represents the authority men had over women at this time.
As for the hideous yellow wallpaper, it symbolizes the restrictions women had in a patriarchal society, it represents a boundary. The protagonist did not really mind the conditions of the room as much as the wallpaper, even though she described it as imprisoning and depressing. Then the floor is scratched and gouged and splintered, the plaster itself is dug out here and there, and this great heavy bed which is all we found in the room, looks as if it had been
through the wars. But I don't mind it a bit -- only the paper. This shows the effect patriarchy had in this point in time. The protagonist could only focus on the wallpaper, the boundary, not caring about anything else. She began to see a woman in the wallpaper who was trying to get out. This particular woman represented every females struggle to overcome the males authority. No matter how hard the woman tried, she failed to escape. In the very shady spots she just takes hold of the bars and shakes them hard. And she is all the time trying to climb through. But nobody could climb through that pattern -- it strangles so The male still had dominion.
At first, the narrator accepts the females role and recognizes male dominancy. She is obedient and accepts her husbands wishes. She slowly moves away from this role revealing the weakening of male influence, or society. She begins to question and rebel the patriarchal way. Finally her feelings of freedom come when she tears the wallpaper down. "I've got out at last, in spite of you and Jane. And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back!" At this moment, her husband enters the room and collapses at the sight of his wifes actions. What seems to be her name is finally revealed: Jane. Her victory over the yellow wallpaper, or society, is then symbolically celebrated by her creeping over her husband. She finally has her freedom, she escaped.
When the wallpaper came down the patriarch lost his power over the home, thus demonstrating the wallpaper symbolism. A few laps over a fainted John shows that patriarchy has been overthrown. At the end of the story her personal will comes through, and in a perverse way she grew. She finally got the freedom she was looking for.
As one can see, the setting played a critical part in the The Yellow Wallpaper. The husband represented a typical male of his time, while the wallpaper represented a society where men had dominion. With time, the wallpaper started to deteriorate, so does the hierarchy men had over women. Females began to question and be aware of their suppression. This evidently embodies and inspires the first steps of a feminist movement that was bound to come.
Already have an account? Log In Now
3258