Yellow Wallpaper ~ Unit 3

In the story, Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Gilman created a piece that represented the internal liberation of a suppressed woman through the use of creative imagery and symbolism. It was obvious that the narrator was upset with certain aspects of the house, particularly the yellow wall paper and the creeping smell that lingered in her hair and throughout the entire house. I think what upset her most was the fact that John did not value her wishes to stay in the downstairs rooms and laughed at the sight of the yellow wall paper. “I wanted one [bedroom] downstairs that opened on the piazza and had roses all over the window, and such pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings! But John would not hear of it” (368). In reality, the yellow wallpaper was a representation of her struggle between submission and freedom. She became grossly involved with the intricate patterns of the paper. It was apparent that the narrator had lost touch with the reality, but by completely submerging herself in the fantasies and patterns of the yellow wallpaper, she came to the realization that she was in fact the frantic woman trapped underneath the wallpaper trying desperately to be free. It appeared that the image of the woman behind the yellow wallpaper was also congruent with how the narrator’s life was portrayed. “By daylight she is subdued, quiet. I fancy it is the pattern that keeps her so still. It is so puzzling. It keeps me quiet by the hour “(374). As the narrator became more intrigued with the woman behind the paper, she began to enjoy watching for new discoveries and it gave her something to look forward to. She began to fantasize less about the world outside the window and grew increasingly more paranoid about the motives of her husband and Jane. “He asked me all sorts of questions, too, and pretended to be very loving and kind” (376). The narrator’s perception of reality really began to change when her husband refused to leave the house despite her efforts to convince him otherwise. “’Better in body perhaps-“ I began, and stopped short, for he sat up straight and looked at me with such a stern, reproachful look that I could not say another word” (373). The point of view changed when the narrator became angry and desperate after the wallpaper began to mock her efforts. Looking out of the window at the creeping women she thought, “I wonder if they come out of the wall-paper as I did” (377)? At this point, the narrator’s sentences become short and precise as if to imply a sense of initiative. As the narrator tore each piece of paper, she had symbolically torn away the outer submissive pattern of her life and was liberated from that power of her husband and Jane. “I’ve got out at last in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back” (378). Although the narrator did not reach this realization through normal rational thought, she was able to use the disillusionment of the yellow wallpaper to solve her inner most desire- liberation.