In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper, patriarchy plays an essential role in the deterioration of the narrator’s physical and mental state. The author used sy7mbolism, irony, and the unreliable narrator technique to give readers an incredible insight into the protagonist’s state of mind and relive the life of the character. By using yellow wallpaper as a symbol of patriarchy and the resulting madness that devours the main character, Gilman renders the theme of female oppression in a most vivid and memorably way.
One of the main literary techniques that The Yellow Wallpaper demonstrates is that one of an unreliable narrator. While the story starts with the protagonist being quite reasonable, if a bit anxious, the further transformation has quite drastic effects on her perception of reality. Arguably, one could claim that the acknowledgement of the main character’s descent into madness occurs as she confesses the following: “The fact is, I am getting a little afraid of John” (Gilman). The specified quote indicates the presence of highly unhealthy dynamics in the relationships that remains unnoticed otherwise and is never expressed directly. Specifically, the lack of voice that the protagonist has in her relationships with her husband is becoming gradually evident as the story progresses, yet the dangerous impact of the described situation becomes apparent only after the quote above emerges.
The literary technique above is linked directly to one of the central symbols in the story apart from the notorious yellow wallpaper. Specifically, the use of yellow wallpaper as a symbol of a gradual yet inevitable descent into madness is deliberate as it serves to portray the sickening and debilitating effects of patriarchal oppression on women. The unnatural and intrusive nature of patriarchal oppression is expressed directly in the following quote: “The color is repellent, almost revolting: a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight” (Gilman). Specifically, the color and pattern that the narrator perceives as disgusting and unnatural serve to embody the same qualities in patriarchy and the way in which it curtails women’s rights and freedom. Thus, the use of literary devices supports the core theme directly.
However, the exploration of the drastic effects that patriarchy has on women and their mental health starts with a different sentiment expressed by the protagonist. Specifically, the following quote can be seen as the one that breaks the barrier between reason and insanity in the narrator: “But I must not think about that. This paper looks to me as if it knew what a vicious influence it had!” (Gilman). Gilman sneaks the quote above as a rather innocuous statement fairly early in the story, yet the emphasis that the author places on the word “knew” makes it evident that the specified part in the narration marks the beginning of the disintegration of the main character’s personality and sanity (Gilman). Specifically, at the specified point in the story, the leading character notices the unfairness of the patriarchal system, the toll that it takes on her, and the extent to which it inhibits her personality from flourishing. However, being unable and unwilling to pinpoint the exact nature of her distress, she uses the notorious yellow wallpaper as the focal point of her negative emotions and the embodiment of her
Furthermore, the theme of female oppression and the burden of patriarchy are rendered through the symbolism in the story by integrating other aspects of the story and incorporating another crucial literary device. Specifically, The Yellow Wallpaper relies quite heavily on the use of irony as one of its key literary techniques. Namely, the manner in which the protagonist speaks of her husband is often drenched in irony: “And dear John gathered me up in his arms, and just carried me upstairs and laid me on the bed, and sat by me and read to me till it tired my head.” (Gilman). The quote above illustrates the use of irony in the narrative as the only means for the protagonist to express her devastating absence of freedom. Which is even more heartbreaking, the quote above indicates that the protagonist recognizes her husband’s well-meaning yet misguided intentions as she calls him “dear John.” However, the acknowledgement that, in his efforts, he exacerbates his wife’s suffering, specifically, her mentioning that it literally tired her to sleep, indicates the presence of bitter irony. Thus, the devastating and desperate situation in which the protagonist is caught is emphasized with the help of the literary devices incorporated into the narrative and expanding on the theme of oppression as the core notion underlying the story.
To sum up, by incorporating the symbol of the yellow wallpaper into the narrative, Gilman addresses the themes of patriarchy and women’s oppression metaphorically. Specifically, the maddening effect that the yellow wallpaper produces on the lead character encapsulates the unbearable nature of the restrictions that society has created for her, as well as for women, in general. Therefore, each of the symbols incorporated into the narrative support the main theme of the story, rendering the characters state of despair and the devastating helplessness impeccably, thus, creating a somber yet accurate portrayal of a major social injustice.
Work Cited
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. Project Gutenberg, 1952, Web.