Feminist Literature and Gender Issues in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Introduction to the Story's Context

In 1892, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a feminist author, published "The Yellow Wallpaper," which follows a woman recovering from mental illness. The story is told through the narrator’s erratic journal entries during a three-month stay at a rented estate, where her physician husband, John, watches over her closely. To help her get better, John prescribes fresh air and rest, locking her in a bright upstairs room. The room has barred windows and disturbing yellow wallpaper, which the narrator really dislikes. John doesn’t let her write, but she secretly keeps a journal to express her feelings. This story subtly explores the old-fashioned expectations placed on women in a male-dominated society. As her obsession with the wallpaper grows, the tone becomes more eerie and unsettling. By telling the story through the woman’s eyes, Gilman gives readers a glimpse into how women’s mental health was often mistreated and misunderstood.

Key Themes and Gender Dynamics

One of the biggest themes in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is how the narrator’s husband treats her mental illness. He diagnoses her with “temporary nervous depression” and controls every part of her recovery, even forbidding her from writing. For her, writing is a form of relief, something that helps her process her emotions. But John, in his controlling way, shuts it down, showing how women’s voices were often silenced. She feels misunderstood and frustrated, especially when John dismisses her feelings. His constant belittling — saying things like “there’s no reason to suffer” — shows his lack of understanding of her struggles. This kind of behavior reflects how society at that time placed limits on women, especially when it came to expressing emotions.

Jennie: A Supporting Role and Another Perspective

John’s sister, Jennie, is another character who plays a role in the story. She helps take care of the narrator, and like John, believes that writing is making things worse for her. Jennie doesn’t have a lot of depth as a character, but she reflects how women, even other women, could buy into society’s ideas about gender roles. Jennie’s concern for the narrator comes from a place of care, but it’s also misguided, as she fails to see that the narrator’s real problem is being stifled by those around her.

Symbolism in the Room: The Yellow Wallpaper and Barred Windows

The room where the narrator is confined is filled with symbolic meaning. The barred windows and the ugly yellow wallpaper become representations of her imprisonment — both in the room and in her role as a woman. She becomes fixated on the wallpaper, convinced that a woman is trapped behind it, just like she feels trapped in her life. The wallpaper’s ugly, chaotic pattern mirrors the confusion and instability she experiences in her mind. The barred windows are another physical sign of how restricted she feels, adding to her sense of helplessness.

Tone and the Narrator’s Mental Decline

As the story moves forward, the narrator’s tone becomes more scattered and confused. Her journal entries start off fairly normal, but they slowly become more frantic, showing her mental decline. She writes about how hard it is to “think straight,” which makes readers wonder if her mental state is really as bad as John says, or if his treatment is making her worse. Her growing obsession with the wallpaper adds to the sense of unease, especially when she starts seeing figures in the pattern, like the woman who’s “creeping about.” The tone keeps shifting between calm and frantic, making the reader question what’s real and what’s not.

Climax: Breaking Free from Confinement

The story hits its peak when the narrator locks herself in the room and starts tearing at the wallpaper, determined to free the woman she believes is trapped behind it. In this moment, she feels a sense of liberation, even though it’s clear that she’s losing touch with reality. By the time John bursts into the room, she’s completely taken on the identity of the woman in the wallpaper, claiming, “I’ve got out at last in spite of you and Jane.” The mention of “Jane” is interesting since no character by that name exists. It suggests that the narrator has shed her old self and taken on a new identity — one free from the constraints of her illness and her marriage, but at the cost of her sanity.

Conclusion: A Feminist Critique of Women’s Mental Health

"The Yellow Wallpaper" offers a powerful look at how women’s mental health was mishandled in the 19th century. Gilman tells this story from the perspective of a woman whose autonomy and voice are stripped away by a husband who thinks he knows what’s best. Through the narrator’s descent into madness, Gilman critiques the way women were silenced and oppressed. The story remains a compelling piece of feminist literature that challenges outdated gender roles and highlights the importance of self-expression.