“It was not intended to drive people crazy, but to save people from being driven crazy” (10). “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman describes a woman’s descent into madness. Narrated by the main character, the reader is given an insight into each change her character experiences. Isolated and patronized, the narrator becomes obsessed with a certain aspect of her temporary home. She faces an overwhelming amount of opposition from her husband which produces feelings of loneliness, suspicion, and instability. In the creation of this piece, Gilman shocks the reader with an unadulterated perspective of mental illness. In this short story, she creates a fully rounded and dynamic character named Jane, who slips into insanity when her
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Initially, her character is optimistic about living in this her home, stating that her if her new home were haunted it would “reach the height of romantic felicity” (1). Her use of language in this sentence infers her desire for a life replete with intrigue and joy. The couple’s temporary property contains a “delicious garden” (1) which appears to excite the narrator abundantly. She adores the estate and everything in it, except for the yellow wallpaper which coats the nursery walls (2). Even though her husband John will not let them stay in the room that she prefers, she acclimates, saying it is “airy and comfortable” (3). Here, she exhibits an inclination to make the best of her situation and faithfully trusts the will of her husband. By being willing to adjust to his wishes, she …show more content…
She is confused as to why she is not recovering from her condition, she is met with tireless opposition, and her complaints are not taken seriously (5). The combination of these elements drives her into the depths of insanity. She clings to the one thing that is seemingly in her control: the wallpaper. With no one to keep her company and an inability to converse with others without feeling emotionally and physically drained, the narrator desperately tries to find meaning in the sheets of paper plastered to the walls her bedroom (6-7). “The color is hideous…and unreliable…and infuriating…but the pattern is torturing” (6). The wallpaper, echoing Jane’s volatile state, offers no peace for her dizzying thoughts. Her attempts to find consistency and regularity in the paper allows her no solace and frustrates her to no end, reflecting John’s fruitless attempts to control and contain Jane’s mental state. The paper infuriates her so that she implores with her husband to leave the house, however, her complaints are not met with understanding. Instead, he disregards her grievances, reasoning that they only have a little time left (6); just a little time left in this agonizing prison. John’s consistent lack of sensitivity to his wife’s true condition results in a feeling of distrust between the pair, solidifying the partition between an oblivious man and his distraught wife. Due to this
Initially, her character is optimistic about living in this her home, stating that her if her new home were haunted it would “reach the height of romantic felicity” (1). Her use of language in this sentence infers her desire for a life replete with intrigue and joy. The couple’s temporary property contains a “delicious garden” (1) which appears to excite the narrator abundantly. She adores the estate and everything in it, except for the yellow wallpaper which coats the nursery walls (2). Even though her husband John will not let them stay in the room that she prefers, she acclimates, saying it is “airy and comfortable” (3). Here, she exhibits an inclination to make the best of her situation and faithfully trusts the will of her husband. By being willing to adjust to his wishes, she …show more content…
She is confused as to why she is not recovering from her condition, she is met with tireless opposition, and her complaints are not taken seriously (5). The combination of these elements drives her into the depths of insanity. She clings to the one thing that is seemingly in her control: the wallpaper. With no one to keep her company and an inability to converse with others without feeling emotionally and physically drained, the narrator desperately tries to find meaning in the sheets of paper plastered to the walls her bedroom (6-7). “The color is hideous…and unreliable…and infuriating…but the pattern is torturing” (6). The wallpaper, echoing Jane’s volatile state, offers no peace for her dizzying thoughts. Her attempts to find consistency and regularity in the paper allows her no solace and frustrates her to no end, reflecting John’s fruitless attempts to control and contain Jane’s mental state. The paper infuriates her so that she implores with her husband to leave the house, however, her complaints are not met with understanding. Instead, he disregards her grievances, reasoning that they only have a little time left (6); just a little time left in this agonizing prison. John’s consistent lack of sensitivity to his wife’s true condition results in a feeling of distrust between the pair, solidifying the partition between an oblivious man and his distraught wife. Due to this