THE YELLOW WALLPAPER

By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

(Critique paper: Feminist Approach)

“The yellow wallpaper” is a Horror fiction genre short story by American author
Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 at New England magazine. In the
story, the narrator, Jane, is portrayed as a mentally unstable wife suffering on both depression
and traditional expectations of femininity. The story tells of the close mindedness of how
depression was treated and dealt by the society. The writer wrote this story as she gone through
postpartum syndrome after giving birth to her first child and was treated by Dr. Silas Weir
Mitchell, the leading expert women’s mental health during that time. He suggested a strict ‘rest
cure’ involving much of bed rest and banned on doing activities including reading, writing, and
painting. Gilman decided to contravene her diagnosis, along with the treatment method and
continue working again. Then she wrote “The yellow wallpaper” to show her criticism of the
psychological medical field. Gilman sent a copy to her Doctor, Mitchell but didn’t receive any
response. She said that the book was “Not intended to drive people crazy, but to save people
from being driven crazy, and it works.”

The story evolves on a couple, Jane as the narrator of the story and John the psychiatrist
husband who acts very entitled. Power is related to privilege. In a system which men have power
than women. Men rule over woman and receives higher privilege to which women are not titled.
Jane struggles fighting against depression and male dominance, which was common in the
1800s. she is held in by her husband as he thinks that it makes her condition better. His treatment
approach is what leads her to breakdown. John manages to make his wife believes that she is
incapable on doing things on her own. The narrator writes down her emotions and feeling on the
paper as she says “I would not it into a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great
relief to my mind.” It was a general society expectation that wives if financially capable on
providing for herself could have no real issue on their own. This was also because they were not
expected to think on their own. They were only expected to rely on their husband’s decision.

She loves to write, but he did not like or even allow her to do that. As she states “There
comes John and I must put this away he hates me to write a word” she’s afraid that John will see
her because he prohibited her to do such thing that even kids are allowed to. He controls his wife
to do things that she likes that may help her to feel better and manage to understand her condition
more but he didn’t like the fact that Jane will know more and more about what she is going
through, that avoids John to look like what they think on women or can we say being look down.
John is an example of a dominating spouse, a husband control over his wife. “John laughs at me,
of course, but one expects that in marriage”, John sees his wife’s thoughts laughable and never
took them seriously. It is also shows from the statement that John laughs at his wife because it
was the society during that time expects man to do on women. John thinks that jane ideas are just
like fun context that can be relate to a funning jokes.
On the feminist side base on Jane’s dialogue, her desire to express thought and
emotion break through even in the highest barrier of the society “I did write for a while in spite
of them”. As an individual, a woman, she experiences depression until she is able to express
herself through writing or even oral communication at some part, she feels exhausted due to the
fact she needed to hide her thought, emotions, and feelings on the society, to her and family, and
to her husband. On the other side, she feels pressured by society to in her husband foundation as
“He takes all care from me, and so I feel basely ungrateful not to value it more”, she is pressured
by society to look up and thank her husband. The narrator uses phrases like: “Jhon says…,”
“Jhon would…,”, and “Jhon does...,” these phrases show the narrator’s loyalty and trust to Jhon.
Before being driven crazy, she believes that what John says is true, and therefore, right for her.
As husband and wife its just right to trust and be loyal on one other but in their relationship, it
shows that only Jane provide this and John only think on his personal gain.

Jane’s environment is almost like a prison; when Jane requested to have her walls
replaced, her husband refuses, “That after the wallpaper was changed it would be the heavy
bedstead, and then barred windows, and then that gate at the head of the stairs, and so on.” “a
colonial mansion, a heredity state, I would say a haunted house and reach the height of romantic
felicity-but that would be asking too much of faith.” Jane may feel repressed by these bars and
gates, her husband refuses to change the environment she lives on. The gates and bars represent a
psychological prison. She is captivated by it.

The main character became more obsess with the yellow wallpaper in the room where
she spends majority of her time. “It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced
enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the uncertain curves for a
little distance, they suddenly commit suicide-plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves
in unheard of contradiction”. At this part the narrator began to notice the yellow wallpaper.
Focusing on the wallpaper is perhaps a sort if distraction from her mental health. The wallpaper
and the room become her source of strength, giving her the courage to fight for herself and be
free from her husband, John.

This story portrays a patriarchal society where men control the actions, feelings, and thoughts of
their wives. In this relationship, wedding, women are expected to take orders from men as they
believe they are more knowledgeable and capable on making decisions. This illustrates the
physical, mental, and emotional hardships encountered by women during the 1800 era. These
points of views are hidden in the dominating actions of John, hidden thoughts of his wife Jane,
and the room where the story circulated. However, jane is determined to scape this prison by
writing on her journal.
 Gilman’s choice of a first-person point of view helps to emphasize the frightening
situation on the story. Word of choices using irony makes it easier to understand yet entertaining
to read. The unique point of view allows reader to see the feelings and emotion of the characters
and also the implication of writing a diary and the time when the woman is being held back by
his husband. It may have some confusing part but it hit the top when you can feel that you are on
the shoes on the characters. The setting contributes a lot on the story as it helps the reader to
understand the tension of the plot and the time period gives information that the story reflects the
real-life condition of people at the time the story was wrote.

To sum up, this story uses as a tool to express the author’s experiences on gender
stereotype, patriarchy, and male dominance, illustrating the physical and mental challenges faced
by woman during those time period. These ideas are shown through Jhon’s action, the thought of
Jane, and the setting of the story. Through this story, Gilman speaks of the captivation and
psychological struggles placed on women by our society. In her mind, gender roles stereotype
must be removed from the social order for women to be free and have their basic human rights.
Therefore, I highly recommend this story on all ages and not only to women but also to men so
that this issue will be avoided and everyone will be knowledgeable. Being able to read this kind
of story contributes on the personality and thinking oof a person. It informs, persuade, and
entertain people.

Submitted by: Student Teacher:

Trizia Avy T. Bondoc Louigie Z. Gutierrez
10- Apollo
English Teacher:
Ms. Angelique E. Boadilla