Feminism and Symbolism in the Yellow Wallpaper: What Students Should Know About It?

Feminism and Symbolism in the Yellow Wallpaper: What Students Should Know About It?

The author – Charlotte Perkins Gilman didn’t know that her story would become one of the top classics in feminist literature. The tale of the Yellow Paper took almost a hundred years to find an understanding and captivating audience. Early readers enjoyed reading tales of horror. Till today, the genre stands as one of the perfect examples. It was not until the early 1970s that the Yellow Wallpaper was regarded as a feminist book. The story contains lots of gothic trappings. However, beneath the façade, you’ll find stories of freedom and repression that are told using various symbols.

It is not easy to discuss this story’s meaning without looking at the personal experience of the author. The Yellow Wallpaper shares a detailed account of a woman who is driven to madness due to the Victorian rest cure. This is a period of inactivity that cures nervous conditions and hysteria conditions among women. The treatment was created by Dr. Weir Mitchel who prescribed it to the author. She was almost driven to madness and it is claimed that she wrote the book to protest this form of treatment and to address Dr. Mitchell directly. A copy of the book was sent to the doctor and while he didn’t respond to her directly, he said that he had changed his way of treatment after reading the story.

While the aspects of autobiography are compelling, the underlying feminism and symbolism lead the discussion best. The author’s husband, John can be viewed as a patriarch due to his dismissal of everything apart from the tangible and being condescending to his wife continuously. However, several critics have viewed his character as a caricature. Most of the husband’s passages which you can read at https://eduzaurus.com/free-essay-samples/the-yellow-wallpaper/ contain sarcasm, irony, and a few borders on parody. While John’s language is exaggerated a couple of times, his dismissive character seems quite extreme. He complements the author’s madness and weird fantasies. John exhibits an obsession with reason even when his wife starts losing her mind.

Another important part of the story is the wallpaper which helps the author discover her hidden self and ultimate freedom. She starts getting obsessed with paper which soon consumes the narrator and story. The author is disappointed to find out that her husband chose a nursery room on the top floor for her. The room has lots of yellow paper which are quite horrible. The author describes it as an artistic sin. The design fascinates the author and she starts seeing more than the exterior design. Soon, the wallpaper consumes the author’s soul. She starts taking note of a different pattern beneath the front design. As you continue reading the book, you’ll see how the author starts identifying herself with this wallpaper.

Conclusion

The Yellow Paper is an amazing and frightening story that has a lot of symbolism and feminism. The modern woman can gain new perspectives on her situations and avoid repeating costly mistakes by reading this book.

By Berniece McKee

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