Themes, Symbols, and Feelings in The Yellow Wallpaper by...

In The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the protagonist symbolizes the effect of the oppression of women in society in the Nineteenth Century. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the author reveals the narrator is torn between hate and love, but emotion is difficult to determine. The effects are produced by the use of complex themes used in the story, which assisted her oppression and reflected on her self-expression. The yellow wallpaper is a symbol of oppression in a woman who felt her duties were limited as a wife and mother. The wallpaper shows a sign of female imprisonment. Since the wallpaper is always near her, the narrator begins to analyze the reasoning behind it. Over time, she begins to realize someone is behind the†¦show more content†¦Neurasthenia is the nervous disease the narrator is suffering from. Gilman expresses if the narrator is ill or if the â€Å"rest cure† treatment she is on is making her crazy(Wilson). Weir Mitchell was the authors/narrators doctor who prescribed her the â€Å"rest cure† treatment, which did not succeed(Gilman). The narrator tells her husband to help her and change the treatment, but he refuses her desires. As a result, the narrator became insane because her husband forced his wife to be in an oppressed situation with her health(MacPike). Within the story, Gilman represents the domestic sphere as a prison(Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism). The narrator is considered to be in prison but in a nursery because she cannot handle her duties as a mother to watch her children or a wife to clean(Delashmit). The windows in the room symbolize the windows in a prison cell. She feels as though, since someone is behind the wallpaper, she is being watched(MacPike). The role of women in the 19th century was reflected in The Yellow Wallpaper. In the 19th century, husbands and fathers did not allow females to interact with certain activities. Women duties were based upon their children and their household(Stansell). In The Yellow Wallpaper, John wants the narrator to cater to himself and their child. Although John tries to govern the narrator, his society is the based on the same nature. The narrator and the woman in theShow MoreRelatedSymbolism of the Setting of The Yellow Wallpaper1198 Words   |  5 PagesVolpe 1 Marissa Volpe Prof. Baker ENC 1102 4/10/14 Symbolism In The Gothic Setting of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† Gothic literature is incredibly distinct. There is a sort of formula involved with writing in the Gothic style, and one of the most important aspects of this is the setting, which can include anything from the architecture of the buildings to the color of the leaves on the trees. The setting of a story is a vital element, as it would seem to be that the most effective way of drawing Read MoreTaylor Tuscai. Mr. Schoen. English Ii Pre-Ap. 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