In this post, notes of “Unit 2A: Charlotte Perkins Gilman: ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ Summary” from “DSC- 18: Women Writings” are given which is helpful for the students doing graduation this year.

About the Author

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935) was an American writer, feminist, and social reformer known for her work on women’s rights, mental health, and gender roles. She grew up in an educated family but faced many challenges, like losing her father and financial problems. Despite this, Gilman became a key figure in the early feminist movement.

Her most famous work is the short story The Yellow Wallpaper, published in 1892. Gilman strongly supported women’s independence and criticized the limitations society placed on them. She wrote about issues like mental illness, marriage, and the restrictions of home life, focusing on the importance of women being financially independent and having freedom of thought.

Contributions to Literature and Social Reform:

Gilman wrote a lot about women’s rights, the unfairness of traditional gender roles, and how mental health is treated, especially for women. Besides The Yellow Wallpaper, her book Women and Economics (1898) was very important for both feminist and social reform movements. She argued that when women rely on men for money, it limits their freedom and potential.

Gilman helped shape feminist literature by discussing how gender, health, and social norms intersect. Her works often called for better treatment of women at home and in society, pushing for a fairer and more empowering relationship between men and women.

Key Themes in Her Works:

• Mental Health: Gilman often wrote about women’s mental health, as seen in The Yellow Wallpaper, where the main character suffers from postpartum depression and is isolated, worsening her mental state.
• Gender Roles and Oppression: She criticized traditional roles for women, showing how these expectations restricted their freedom and self-discovery.
• Women’s Independence: Her works encourage women to seek financial, social, and educational independence.
• Marriage and Domestic Life: Gilman criticized marriage, highlighting how women often had to play submissive roles, which took away their freedom and happiness.

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Background

Historical and Cultural Context of “The Yellow Wallpaper”

The Yellow Wallpaper was written in the late 19th century when women faced strong societal limits. They were expected to be wives and mothers, with little chance for self-expression or independence. These gender roles were enforced in many ways, including how women were medically treated.

The story was inspired by Gilman’s own nervous breakdown and the “rest cure” treatment she received. This treatment, created by Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, involved keeping women at home and limiting their activities to cure what was called “hysteria” or nervous exhaustion. Gilman found this treatment suffocating and harmful, which influenced her story, where the main character goes through a similar experience, leading to her mental breakdown.

This time also saw the growth of the suffragist movement, which fought for women’s right to vote and overall rights. Women began to speak out more, using literature and activism to push for change.

Significance of the Short Story in Feminist Literature

The Yellow Wallpaper is seen as a key work in feminist literature because it critiques how women are treated and how their voices are silenced. The story shows the negative effects of male control over women’s lives, as the main character’s mental health worsens due to forced confinement and lack of freedom.

The story is important in feminist literary criticism for its portrayal of the main character’s fight for independence and her eventual rebellion against the restrictions she faces. By showing her mental decline due to the oppressive environment created by her husband and society, Gilman highlights the danger of ignoring women’s needs and experiences.

The Yellow Wallpaper also criticizes the medical practices of the time, showing how women’s mental health issues were treated as simple weaknesses instead of complex problems affected by social factors. The main character’s escape through the wallpaper represents her wish to break free from the limitations imposed by her relationships and society.

In summary, The Yellow Wallpaper is a crucial work in feminist literature and discussions about mental health, revealing the harmful effects of gender-based oppression and the need for women’s empowerment and independence.

Study Guide

Summary of the Short Story

The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story told by a woman who is not named. She has been told to rest because she has a nervous condition, likely after having a baby. She and her husband, John, who is a doctor, go to a quiet house for the summer so she can get better. She is kept in a room with yellow wallpaper that she finds ugly and disturbing.

As time goes on, she becomes obsessed with the wallpaper, thinking that there is something trapped inside it. She believes the pattern moves and that there is a woman trapped behind it who wants to get out. Her mental health gets worse as she focuses more on the wallpaper and feels stuck in her situation. John, although he means well, does not take her seriously and keeps her from doing things she enjoys, making her feel even more isolated and unwell.

In the end, the woman feels she has freed the trapped woman in the wallpaper. She locks herself in the room and tears down the wallpaper, losing her sanity and crawling around, showing both her rebellion and her mental breakdown.

Analysis of Major Characters

1. The Narrator (The Woman):
   • Starting Point: At first, the narrator seems to be struggling with postpartum depression. She relies on her husband, and being a mother is her main role.
   • Change Over Time: As the story goes on, her mental health worsens due to her treatment and being locked away. Her growing obsession with the wallpaper shows her desire for freedom, which leads to her tearing it down.
   • Meaning: Her madness symbolizes how women’s voices were ignored during that time. Her breakdown represents her attempt to escape societal limits.
2. John (The Husband):
   • Starting Point: John is a doctor and the narrator’s husband. He believes he knows what is best for her and thinks she needs rest to heal.
   • Change Over Time: John does not notice how much worse his wife is getting. He dismisses her worries about the wallpaper, which shows his control over her. His ignorance reflects how women’s mental health issues were often misunderstood back then.
   • Meaning: John represents the controlling attitudes toward women in the late 1800s. His caring yet controlling behavior contributes to his wife’s breakdown.
3. The Woman in the Wallpaper:
   • Symbolic Role: The woman the narrator thinks is behind the wallpaper is not real but symbolizes the narrator’s wish for freedom from her home and mind.
   • Role in the Story: This figure reflects the narrator’s feeling of being trapped. As she tries to free the woman, it represents her own struggle for independence, even if it leads to her losing her sanity.

Key Plot Points and Themes

1. The Rest Cure and Setting:
   • The story starts with the couple moving to a quiet house. This setting shows her isolation both physically and emotionally. The rest cure, which prevents her from being creative or social, leads to her mental decline.
2. Fixation on the Wallpaper:
   • As the narrator stays in the room, she becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper. Initially, she dislikes it, but she begins to see a woman trapped behind it, which grows stronger as her mental health declines. The wallpaper symbolizes her own feeling of being trapped in her life.
3. Decline of the Narrator’s Mental Health:
   • As the narrator becomes more obsessed with the wallpaper, she isolates herself from her husband and becomes convinced she must free the woman in the wallpaper. This madness reflects the effects of oppressive treatment of women at the time.
4. Final Act of Rebellion:
   • At the climax, the narrator locks herself in the room and tears down the wallpaper, thinking she is freeing the trapped woman. She crawls around the room, showing her breakdown and her attempt to be free.

Key Themes

1. Gender Roles and Control:
   • A main theme is the restrictive gender roles that trap the narrator. Her husband, while caring, imposes strict rules that take away her independence. Her mental health is dismissed as mere hysteria, reflecting how women’s voices were stifled in the 19th century.
2. Mental Illness and Treatment of Women:
   • The story criticizes the treatment of women’s mental health at that time, especially the “rest cure,” which kept women isolated and controlled. The narrator’s decline under this treatment shows how women’s suffering was often misunderstood.
3. Freedom vs. Confinement:
   • The theme of being trapped is important in the story. The narrator’s confinement in the room and her breakdown symbolize the limits placed on women. Her obsession with the wallpaper shows her desire for freedom, which she seeks in a destructive act.
4. Identity and Self-Expression:
   • Throughout the story, the narrator struggles to express herself. Her confinement and the dismissal of her concerns limit her identity, and her focus on the wallpaper represents her desperate need for autonomy. The story shows how a lack of self-expression can lead to mental breakdown.

In short, The Yellow Wallpaper is a powerful story that critiques how women were treated in the 19th century, especially regarding mental health and restrictive roles. Through its strong symbols and the narrator’s descent into madness, the story highlights the harmful effects of patriarchal control and the silencing of women.

Early Responses to the Story

Critical Reception Upon Publication

When The Yellow Wallpaper was first published in 1892, it got mixed reviews. Many critics did not pay much attention to it. Some praised its deep look into the mind and strong images, but many missed its feminist messages. At that time, readers were not used to stories that talked about mental illness and how women were treated.

The story showed the harmful effects of the “rest cure” and questioned traditional roles for women, but these points were not widely recognized at first. However, it did resonate with some feminist groups because it quietly criticized how society and medicine treated women.

Gilman’s own experience with the “rest cure,” given by Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, is well-known. Her critique of this treatment is a key part of the story. She also wrote an essay called “Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper,” explaining her reasons for writing it. This essay showed how her own battles with mental health and oppressive treatments inspired her work.

Awards and Honors Received by the Story

Although The Yellow Wallpaper did not get much recognition or awards when it was first published, its importance has grown a lot over time, especially in feminist literary criticism and the study of psychology. Today, it is seen as a key work of feminist literature and is often included in collections about women’s rights and mental health in the 19th century.

Though it did not receive major awards during Gilman’s life, The Yellow Wallpaper is now an important part of American literature. It is praised for its bold critique of how women were treated by medicine and society. Over time, the story has been celebrated for its deep look at isolation, mental illness, and gender roles.

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Form and Narrative Style

Epistolary Style of the Story

The Yellow Wallpaper is not exactly an epistolary novel, but it uses a similar style by being told through journal entries written by the narrator. This diary format makes the story feel personal and immediate, allowing readers to see the narrator’s thoughts and feelings closely.

This format helps readers witness the main character’s slide into madness, creating a strong emotional connection to her struggle. By telling the story in this personal way, Gilman shows the narrator’s mental breakdown step by step, making the climax of tearing down the wallpaper more intense.

The diary-like format also connects to the theme of women being silenced, as the narrator writes in secret instead of speaking freely. Her lack of voice highlights her growing isolation and frustration. Through this style, Gilman illustrates how the narrator’s mind becomes more chaotic as she struggles to communicate.

Use of First-Person Narrative

The story is told in the first person by the unnamed female main character. This allows readers to understand her mental state and emotional struggles directly. This personal viewpoint is important for the story’s impact, as it helps readers feel her paranoia and changing perceptions.

By using a first-person narrative, Gilman immerses readers in the main character’s unstable mind. The narrator’s voice becomes more confusing and unreliable as her obsession with the wallpaper grows. This makes the feeling of being trapped stronger, as readers see the world only through her limited and distorted view. It also highlights how she lacks control over her mind and her life.

The first-person style creates a feeling of closeness and urgency, making readers confront the emotional effects of the treatment given by her husband and society. We see everything through her eyes, and as her view of reality distorts, the story itself becomes more chaotic, mirroring her mental decline.

Narrative Techniques Employed by Gilman

1. Psychological Realism:
   • Gilman shows the narrator’s slow decline into madness. Her growing obsession with the wallpaper reflects this, with the story becoming more disjointed as she loses touch with reality. This mirrors her mental state and makes the story a strong psychological exploration.
2. Symbolism:
   • The yellow wallpaper is a key symbol in the story. It represents the restrictions placed on women and the narrator’s mental confinement. Her growing fixation on the wallpaper shows her awareness of her own limitations, both physically and mentally. The woman trapped in the wallpaper symbolizes the narrator’s wish to escape her oppressive life.
3. Foreshadowing:
   • Gilman hints at the narrator’s eventual breakdown early in the story. The narrator is uneasy about the wallpaper but does not fully understand its meaning yet. As the story goes on, her obsession with it deepens, signaling her coming madness. Details like the “sickly” color of the wallpaper become more important.
4. Unreliable Narrator:
   • The narrator’s unstable mental state makes her an unreliable storyteller. Her views on the wallpaper and her surroundings are not completely trustworthy. This adds tension to the story and creates a feeling of unease. Her inability to tell reality from her delusions enhances the story’s horror.
5. Use of Repetition:
   • Gilman uses repetition, especially in the narrator’s obsession with the wallpaper. She often describes its pattern and her feeling of being trapped, reflecting her own sense of confinement. This repetition emphasizes the cycle of her thoughts and her growing feelings of being stuck.

In summary, Gilman’s narrative techniques, especially her first-person point of view, the symbolic yellow wallpaper, and the realistic portrayal of the narrator’s declining mental health, work together to create a powerful critique of how women were treated by medicine and society. The story’s simple form allows for a deep exploration of its main themes, leaving a lasting impact on readers and solidifying its importance in feminist and psychological literature.

Themes of Mental Health

Portrayal of Mental Illness and Its Treatment

The Yellow Wallpaper shows a clear picture of mental illness through the narrator’s worsening mental state. Although her condition isn’t named, it hints that she has postpartum depression, which wasn’t well understood back then. Her experiences highlight how mental illness can be especially difficult for women, who were often ignored or misunderstood in the 19th century.

The story shows how the narrator’s mental health worsens due to being isolated, confined, and having no control over her life. She becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper, which represents her struggle. She thinks she sees a woman trapped in the wallpaper, mirroring her own feeling of being trapped in her home and mind. The story points out how her distress is often dismissed by those around her.

Critique of the Medical Practices of the Time

A major criticism in The Yellow Wallpaper is about the medical practices of the late 1800s, especially the “rest cure.” This treatment, created by Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, involved isolating women and limiting their activities. The narrator’s husband, who is also her doctor, believes that complete rest will help her.

However, the story shows that this treatment is not only useless but harmful. The narrator is not allowed to write or engage with the world, worsening her mental state. Gilman criticizes this medical approach that treats women as weak and passive, ignoring their needs and emotional struggles.

The narrator’s breakdown symbolizes how the medical field of that time often overlooked women’s experiences, labeling their issues as hysteria. The failure to understand her condition and the restriction on her emotional life lead to her collapse, making the “rest cure” feel more like punishment.

Impact of Societal Expectations on Mental Health

Societal expectations for women in the 19th century, especially concerning home life and motherhood, greatly affect the narrator’s mental health. Women were expected to be caring and devoted to their families. Any behavior outside these norms was seen as strange, and women with mental health issues were often judged as weak.

In the story, the narrator struggles more because of the pressure to fit into these roles. She is isolated and has no control, reflecting the belief that women should stay at home and avoid public life. This confinement, both physically and emotionally, worsens her mental health. Gilman suggests that women’s mental illness is often linked to societal expectations and gender roles, not just individual issues.

Themes of Gender and Patriarchy

Representation of Gender Roles and Expectations

The Yellow Wallpaper strongly criticizes the strict gender roles of the late 19th century. The narrator’s treatment is based on the idea that, as a woman, she is weak and unable to take care of herself. Her husband, John, represents male authority, believing he knows what is best for her and ignoring her own understanding of her needs.

The narrator’s confinement and lack of intellectual freedom reflect society’s view that women should stay in the home, be obedient, and not engage in intellectual activities. Women were often seen as emotional and passive, with their desires for independence ignored. The wallpaper symbolizes her confinement, both in her room and by societal expectations.

Critique of Patriarchal Society

At its core, The Yellow Wallpaper criticizes the patriarchy, which creates gender inequality and controls women. Through John, Gilman points out how society marginalizes women. He treats his wife like a child, disregarding her worries and limiting her mental and creative activities. His failure to see her need for independence shows the deep-rooted gender bias of the time.

Gilman illustrates how the medical and social systems aimed to control women instead of understanding their unique needs. John’s dismissive attitude and insistence on the “rest cure” show how patriarchal authority was often harmful to women’s mental health.

The story also highlights that traditional family structures, based on male authority, limited women. Women were expected to focus only on their husbands and children, and any deviation from this was viewed negatively. Gilman critiques these rigid gender roles and the harm they cause to women.

Impact of Male Dominance on Female Characters

The effect of male dominance on female characters is shown through the relationship between the narrator and her husband, John. Even with good intentions, John’s control and dismissal of the narrator’s feelings lead to her mental breakdown. He embodies a society that believes women need to be controlled to be safe and healthy.

As the story continues, it’s clear that John’s treatment, lack of respect, and control worsen the narrator’s obsession with the wallpaper and her mental decline. He dominates her life, from her health care to her creative expression. His way of treating her like a child deepens her feelings of powerlessness and reinforces gender inequality.

The story suggests that the male-dominated society was harmful, not just to women’s mental health, but also to their self-worth and identity. The narrator’s struggle to regain control and freedom symbolizes a larger fight against patriarchal control.

In summary, The Yellow Wallpaper examines how patriarchal society harms women’s mental health and how strict gender roles and male dominance contribute to their oppression. By depicting the narrator’s descent into madness due to these forces, Gilman critiques the medical and social systems that limited women’s freedom and denied them autonomy. The story serves as a powerful feminist critique and a haunting look at the psychological effects of gender inequality.

Symbolism and Imagery

The Yellow Wallpaper as a Symbol

The yellow wallpaper is a key symbol in The Yellow Wallpaper. It shows the main character’s feeling of being trapped, her worsening mental health, and her desire for freedom and self-expression. At first, she thinks the wallpaper is ugly and gross. But over time, she becomes obsessed with it and starts to believe there is a woman stuck inside, trying to escape. This woman represents the narrator’s own feeling of being trapped in her room and life.

The wallpaper also shows the limits placed on women during that time. It reflects the male-dominated society that restricts the narrator’s freedom, forcing her into a limited role as a wife and mother. Just like the woman in the wallpaper, the narrator feels controlled by her husband and society’s expectations. The messy pattern of the wallpaper mirrors the confusion in her mind as her obsession grows.

Finally, when the narrator tries to tear down the wallpaper, it is a way for her to fight back and seek freedom. When she thinks she has freed the woman in the wallpaper, it symbolizes her own release from the mental and emotional constraints. The wallpaper represents her fight for freedom and identity.

Other Symbols and Their Meanings

1. The Room:
   • The room where the narrator is kept is another important symbol. It’s described as a nursery, showing that she is treated like a child. The locked room with barred windows restricts her from doing anything stimulating. It symbolizes her mental and emotional confinement, representing both her home prison and the mental cage created by her husband’s treatment.
2. The Bed:
   • The bed symbolizes her confinement. It is heavy and unmovable, making her feel trapped physically and mentally. The bed is part of the treatment she undergoes, where she must lie down and cannot engage in any creative activities, contributing to her mental decline. Like the room and wallpaper, the bed shows the oppressive nature of her treatment.
3. The Window:
   • The window represents both a barrier and a chance for escape. The narrator looks out and sees a beautiful garden and sky, but she cannot leave the room. The window shows her wish for freedom while highlighting her entrapment, as she can only watch the outside world.
4. The Woman in the Wallpaper:
   • The woman in the wallpaper represents the narrator’s feeling of being trapped. The narrator believes this woman wants to escape, just like she does. This woman reflects the narrator’s struggle between wanting freedom and being held back by society and her marriage. When the narrator thinks she has freed the woman, it symbolizes her final act of resistance, even if it costs her sanity.

Use of Imagery to Show Themes

Gilman uses imagery in The Yellow Wallpaper to highlight themes of mental illness, gender roles, and the narrator’s growing obsession with her entrapment.

1. Wallpaper Pattern Imagery:
   • The detailed and confusing pattern of the wallpaper is central to the story. At first, the narrator finds it ugly, but it soon becomes vivid in her mind. The chaotic design represents her mental breakdown. Her obsession with the pattern shows her growing disconnect from reality, reflecting her confusion and instability.
2. Light and Darkness Imagery:
   • The contrast between light and darkness shows the narrator’s mental state. The dim room symbolizes her emotional isolation, making her feel even more trapped. When light appears, it represents brief moments of hope, but returning to the dark room highlights her inability to escape.
3. Nature Imagery:
   • When the narrator looks outside, the garden, trees, and sky represent freedom and life. However, she cannot interact with this world, emphasizing her entrapment. The natural imagery reminds her of what she is missing: the chance to live freely.
4. Imagery of the Woman’s Struggle:
   • The narrator’s belief in the trapped woman symbolizes her own feeling of entrapment. The woman’s attempts to escape mirror the narrator’s desire to break free. The more she identifies with this woman, the clearer her own fragmentation and obsession for freedom becomes.
5. The Color Yellow:
   • The yellow color of the wallpaper is also symbolic. It is described as sickly, representing the narrator’s emotional and mental state as she becomes more isolated. Yellow can symbolize caution, suggesting that her obsession with the wallpaper signals danger. As her fixation grows, the color yellow represents the harmful effects of her confinement.

In summary, the symbols and imagery in The Yellow Wallpaper work together to explore mental illness, gender roles, and the narrator’s struggle for freedom. The wallpaper, the room, the window, and the light and darkness imagery all show her confinement and her growing obsession with finding mental and emotional freedom. Through these symbols, Gilman effectively conveys themes of entrapment, resistance, and the negative impact of male control on women’s mental health.

Conclusion

Key Points Summary

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman tells the story of a woman’s struggle with mental illness. It focuses on themes like isolation, control, mental health, and the roles of women. The story criticizes the medical treatments of the late 1800s, especially the “rest cure” given to women with postpartum depression, showing how harmful this was for the main character’s mind. The yellow wallpaper in the story symbolizes both her physical and mental confinement and her fight for freedom. Her obsession with the wallpaper and the woman she thinks is trapped inside shows her own feelings of being trapped, reflecting the limits society places on women.

The themes of gender and control are important in the story. Gilman criticizes the few roles women had at that time. The narrator’s husband, John, represents the way society controlled women, ignoring their independence and keeping them at home. As the main character’s mental health worsens, her isolation grows, leading to a tragic breakdown. Gilman highlights how society’s expectations for women and controlling medical practices can have serious effects on mental health.

Importance of The Yellow Wallpaper Today

Even though it was written over a hundred years ago, The Yellow Wallpaper is still important today. It discusses mental illness, especially in women, which is a relevant issue now as awareness of mental health grows, but challenges remain, particularly in how women are treated. The story also addresses ongoing problems of gender inequality, domestic confinement, and the fight for women’s independence, which are still significant topics in modern feminist discussions.

The symbolism in the story, especially the yellow wallpaper, continues to inspire thoughts about how women’s voices and experiences are often ignored. The narrator’s mental decline has made the story a key piece in discussions about psychological fiction and how mental illness is shown in literature.

Additionally, The Yellow Wallpaper critiques medical practices and how women’s health has been treated both in the past and today. As a feminist work, it calls for better understanding and care for women’s mental health, who have often been overlooked or misunderstood by doctors.

Final Thoughts on Gilman’s Impact on Women’s Writing

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper is a major work in feminist literature and an important part of women’s writing. Through her own experiences and her criticism of society and medical systems, Gilman created a story that challenges views on women’s mental health and independence while addressing broader issues of oppression, identity, and self-expression.

Her work is important for its honest look at mental health and its critique of patriarchal systems and their effects on women’s lives. The Yellow Wallpaper serves as a powerful reminder of how literature can highlight social injustices, raise awareness about mental health, and give a voice to those whose experiences have been overlooked. Gilman’s writing continues to inspire many, making her a key figure in feminist thought and women’s literature.

Ultimately, The Yellow Wallpaper is both a warning and a call for action, showing the need to understand mental health better, to listen to women’s voices, and to continue the fight for equality and independence.