The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a story about a woman feeling trapped and suffering because of her isolation. The story is told from the perspective of a wife who has recently given birth to a child she has not been able to see. The narrator is sick and is treated with a rest cure, which essentially traps her inside an enclosed space, where her mental condition worsens. The ultimate theme of the story is that men’s treatment of women in XIX century America leads to oppression and deterioration.
Although, on the surface, it may seem that the story is about the protagonist succumbing to insanity, there is a substantial amount of symbolism. The most evident symbol is the yellow wallpaper that surrounds the woman, which represents oppression. The description of her room is reminiscent of a cage: “it would be the heavy bedstead, and then the barred windows, and then that gate at the head of the stairs” (Gilman 8). It is also possible to draw a parallel between the room and a prison. As much as the narrator’s husband denies her freedom of movement in the story, men restricted women’s opportunities in life in general in the past.
The majority of the story is told via her entries in a journal. As the story progresses, the narrator’s thoughts become more chaotic and surreal. One of the journal entries mentions shapes in the wallpaper that the narrator interprets as “a woman stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern” (Gilman 14). This line is a reference to the extremely uncomfortable position of American women of that time period. The symbolism becomes even more evident when the next line is considered: “It is always the same shape, only very numerous” (Gilman 14). The subsequent message is that many women experience the same isolation and difficulties.
Another aspect of societal male oppression is men’s attitude that creates such a situation. Over the course of the story, there are indications that male characters actually believe that they are creating favorable conditions for the narrator. The husband’s lines showcase him as a caring man who is ignorant of his wife’s experiences. The following exchange is especially indicative of men’s confidence in their understanding of women’s struggles: “you really are better, dear, whether you can see it or not” (Gilman 15). Meanwhile, the wife feels extremely uncomfortable in the room and does not sense improvement. One particular description of the wallpaper’s color patterns signifies the ignorant male dominance over women: “nobody could climb through that pattern—it strangles so; I think that is why it has so many heads” (Gilman 23). The heads refer to the people in power that deny women an opportunity to live their own lives and enjoying basic rights.
There is also the feeling of hopelessness that is conveyed regarding the narrator and the women in general. One entry clearly conveys her frustration: “if a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one … what is one to do?” (Gilman 4). The negativity of the situation becomes more apparent if it is considered that the aforementioned individuals are the closest people the narrator has in her life. The wife receives no other outside input aside from the communication with her husband, to the point that she starts using his words to relay the story (Gilman 20). Considering that the journal is the only way for her to express her real thoughts, her reliance on her husband’s words symbolizes the entirety of men’s control over women, including their private thoughts.
Altogether, the central message of The Yellow Wallpaper is that male control over women leads to their isolation and suffering, which men are not aware of. The belief that men know better what is preferable for women was a recurrent theme in the XIX century America. With this story, Gilman shows the experience of a disenfranchised and actively suffering woman from the first-person perspective. As a result, the one-sided male-dominated flow of thoughts negatively impacts both women and men, who believe that they are doing the best for their loved ones, while in reality, they are losing each other.
Work Cited
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. SAGA Egmont, 2022.