The time period the story is taking place was during the late 19th century, or the late 1800s. Traditionally, at this time, women were solely in charge of household duties and the children. Similar to a person plastering wallpaper to a wall, her husband, along with society, forced his wife to be accustomed to what they thought was common. The wallpaper’s pattern represents the societal norms that are metaphorically restricting her movements.
Throughout the short story, the unnamed women was forbidden to delve in her …show more content…
Regularly, at night, the woman in the wallpaper tries to escape. “She just takes hold of the bars and shakes them hard.” (Gilman). The “yellow woman” was trapped in the wallpaper with no means to escape. For example, the narrator wrote, “The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern, just as if she wanted to get out.” (Gilman). The narrator constantly visualized the “yellow woman” attempting to escape the wallpaper, similar to how she wanted to escape the room. The “yellow woman” represents the narrator. Both women are entrapped in a location they do not wish to