Analytical on The Symbolism in The "Yellow Wallpaper"

Introduction

Women in the field of literature have been looked down on as subordinates and belittled for a very long period of time. Prior to the 19th century, women were placed in the opinion of the cult of domesticity, where women were to stay at home and be submissive to the husband. Despite this, Charlotte Perkins Gilman brought out her radical views in her work, "The Yellow Wallpaper", a short story written in 1890. The woman, Jane, in the story undergoes the feeling of being imprisoned by trying to live up to the high hopes of her husband and to have individuality. The story consists of the journal entries by the narrator that deals with the way she was treated by her husband to gain back her mental stability. Although the story relates to the treatment of women in the late 1800s this story was a way through which Gilman raised awareness of the struggles faced by women in that time period. "The Yellow Wallpaper" contains various symbolic elements that connect to events that women encountered.

Primary Symbols of Oppression

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses the symbolism of the wallpaper, the narrator's journal, and the nursery to represent the suppression and confinement of women in society in the late 1800s. The wallpaper is interpreted in various ways and can have two meanings, her controlling husband and how the society controls women. Gilman expresses that, "At night in any kind of light, in twilight, candlelight, lamplight, and worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars! The outside pattern I mean, and the woman behind it is as plain as can be". The narrator distinguishes with the woman that is trapped behind the wallpaper and her innermost self knows that she is confined but her consciousness has the mindset that what her husband, John, does is best for her.

The Wallpaper as Prison Bars

The narrator comes in reason with her frustration and the condition as she is forced to be in bed for "recovery" and sees the "bars" which are the ones like in prison cells. The woman that is seen trapped behind the wallpaper is actually the narrator herself that expresses the narrator's own feelings of frustration and helplessness towards the idea of being trapped and imprisoned by the bars of a patriarchal society. Gilman also expresses that, "I don't like to look out of the windows even — there are so many of those creeping women, and they creep so fast. I wonder if they all come out of that wall-paper as I did?".

Liberation Through Destruction

When she tries to find her way out and is so frustrated that she has freed the woman behind the wallpaper she sees how she was drawn away from her own identity and the connection that she has been keeping away from. The realization that there are other women like her in this world who are oppressed makes her frightened to even look at them. The wallpaper has become such a big part of her life that she is in love with it but as the story progresses she starts to be disgusted by it because of its effect on her mental state.

The Journal as Expression of Freedom

Symbolically, the wallpaper is a way of showing how it represented the domestic life the women were placed to abide by in the late 19th century in the United States. The journal of the narrator is symbolic to that of a woman's escape from the norms of the society and the lack of self-expression. The writer of "The Yellow Wallpaper" states that "I think sometimes that if I were only well enough to write a little it would relieve the press of ideas and rest me".

Patriarchal Control Through Medicine

The one main obstacle in her life that prevents her from doing what she likes and makes her feel better, which is writing, is her husband John. He restricts her from improving and living a satisfied life by controlling every aspect of her being. The only way the woman can express her frustration and get rid of depressing thoughts is by writing, which she is not allowed to. John restricts her from having an outlet to express her creativity, thus leading her to be mad and frustrated.

The Journal as Silent Rebellion

The journal is an insight to her deteriorating mind and shows how John treats her as the subordinate to him. It represents the patriarchal society and the norms that literally ties women to subordinate roles in the domestic sphere. The journal can be a way of seeing it as an opposition to her husband and the dominance of the men in existing reality.

Gender Roles and Social Hierarchy

The mindset of fixed roles in society has led to male-dominance and the systematic roles in the community where the women are meant to be dutiful at home and the men are the brain in the society. Gilman also says, "John is a physician, and perhaps — (I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind) — perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster".

The Nursery as Confinement

The place the woman confined in is a nursery that is very isolated, which shows how the husband tries to intercept from her engaging to the outside world and taking away her identity. In another light, the room can also be seen as a secure place where she can do what she wants, which is writing. Gilman describes the room by saying, "It is a big, airy room, the whole floor nearly, with windows that look all ways, and air and sunshine galore. It was nursery first and then playroom and gymnasium, I should judge; for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls".

Psychological Imprisonment

The woman in the story is so oppressed that she is in dilemma with herself, her thoughts are filled and consumed by her husband instructions and his orders that she thinks of himself before her. In the story the husband locks his wife in the room is a way of showing his power over her. The woman feels guilty for thinking about herself and her condition which is about her depression and her relationship with her husband in an oppressive marriage.

Conclusion

The key symbol, the wallpaper, demonstrates the male dominance and the fixed role in society which led to the frustration and maddening emotions of the narrator which can be related to women in general. Secondly, the journal is a symbol that shows the unavailability to express oneself and breaking free from the typical behaviour expected from a woman. Finally, the nursery is a way of showing how she is being stripped of having her own values and being imprisoned by her husband, John. This short story shows how people need to start thinking about the fixed roles seriously and to bring women's oppression visible to society. Overall Gilman expresses her radical views and portrays that people should learn to change the oppressive mentality before being absorbed by it and to disregard the social norms.

Works Cited

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