The Yellow Wallpaper

The Yellow Wallpaper- Charlotte Perkins Gilman

"The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, tells the story of a woman's struggle against society's views on women in her time. More importantly, the story is about control over women and attacks the role of women in society. I think the narrator of the story is symbolic for all women in the late 1800s. Women were expected to have children, keep house and do only as they are told. Men on the other hand were privileged enough to have an education, they held jobs and made all the decisions. Since men suppressed women, John, the narrator's husband, is presumed to have control over her.

I think John, the narrator's husband, represents society at large. Like society, John controls and determines much of what his wife should or should not do. He leaves his wife incapable of making her own decisions. John's domineering nature can be credited to the fact that John is male and also a "physician of high standing". He is considered to be scientific, factual, logical and rational, everything that characterizes a normal and sane person in society. He tells the protagonist that she is to take "phosphates or phosphites - whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and is absolutely forbidden to 'work' until she is well again".

I believe, the narrator thinks that a life voided of any work or excitement will not be helpful or aid her on the road to her recovery. She asks herself not once, but three times what someone in her position is to do, she says "And what can one do?" , "What is one to do?" , "But what is one to do?". I think the repetition of these questions demonstrates that the she cannot do anything to change her life because her husband controls what she can and cannot do. Her writing also falls under this category because writing was looked down upon in society as a woman's profession. Because of society's unfair nature, she is unable to write in the presence of other people, especially John and his sister Jenny who is considered a great component of society because he is a "high standing physician" and she is an "enthusiastic housekeeper". Because she believes that people see her writing as contributing to her illness. She says, "I verily believe Jenny thinks it is the writing which made me sick!". Even though she finds relief in writing, she says, "I must say what I feel and think in some way - it is such a relief!", since writing is considered an improper occupation for women in society, she must not write publicly, but in secret.

John also tries to control how and what