Charlotte Gilman‘s “the Yellow Wall Paper

Charlotte Gilman‘s “The Yellow Wall Paper” introduces the reader into the complex world of the human psyche. This story is told from the point of view of a narrator that suffers from a particular nervous depression. The story takes the form of a compilation of diary entries; as a result, each entry (all undated) does not reflect a constant mood or emotion with the exception of the repetitive nervousness. This nervous disorder contributes greatly to her hallucinations, and causes switches from first to third person point of view where she becomes a completely different character. Both problems take away from the credibility of her perspective of actual events in the story.

The narrator begins the story with her move-in to a colonial mansion, which takes place because her husband believes that a particular room in the house will improve her health. Her husband, a doctor, states that she merely possesses mild nervousness and that she must rest completely in order to become well. However, the room that she resides in actually causes her to become delirious. The narrator first states that she is glad that her “case is not serious,” but later in the story she develops serious hallucinations. The narrator speaks of how the designs of the yellow wallpaper act as bars that constrain women locked behind it. At first, the wallpaper is nothing but “delirium tremens” or rather, grotesque patterns. Later, she recognizes the pattern to be imprisoned women.