In the critically acclaimed short story, The Yellow Wallpaper(1982), Charles Stetson explores the theme of mental health throughout the story using the narrator’s character. He portrays the change of Jane’s mental health by employing the aspects of symbolism, perspective and traditional gender roles. Jane’s temperament in the beginning is very calm and she is happy to be married. Through the course of the story, during the rest cure treatment, her mental condition deteriorates as she becomes insane. Her increasing paranoia of her surroundings makes her start imagining figures, leading to a disastrous consequence.
Stetson utilizes symbolism to portray the poor mental condition of Jane. Through the progress of each of her diary entries, it is possible to notice Jane’s increasing madness and her weird relationship with the Yellow Wallpaper. …show more content…
During the story, Jane utilizes a diary as an outlet for such thoughts that may disturb John. She constantly wants a way to express her emotions, and keeping a journal is a ‘relief’ to her. Since she is not allowed to write, Jane feels better in producing a restrained self thought. The fact that she is hiding the diary also shows her rebellion against John. Conversations between the two characters, make it easy for the reader to understand that John does not care about Jane’s worsening condition. He is blinded by his practical thoughts on the rest cure and believes he is helping her spouse. Due to this, Jane is indirectly forced to conceal her fears of the wallpaper to ensure the deceptive appearance of a ‘happy’ marriage. The gradual insanity that Jane achieves is more of a suppression of her imagination, not her expression of it. This also results in situational irony, where John’s treatment, instead of helping his wife from hysteria, backfires and worsens the depression she had
Stetson utilizes symbolism to portray the poor mental condition of Jane. Through the progress of each of her diary entries, it is possible to notice Jane’s increasing madness and her weird relationship with the Yellow Wallpaper. …show more content…
During the story, Jane utilizes a diary as an outlet for such thoughts that may disturb John. She constantly wants a way to express her emotions, and keeping a journal is a ‘relief’ to her. Since she is not allowed to write, Jane feels better in producing a restrained self thought. The fact that she is hiding the diary also shows her rebellion against John. Conversations between the two characters, make it easy for the reader to understand that John does not care about Jane’s worsening condition. He is blinded by his practical thoughts on the rest cure and believes he is helping her spouse. Due to this, Jane is indirectly forced to conceal her fears of the wallpaper to ensure the deceptive appearance of a ‘happy’ marriage. The gradual insanity that Jane achieves is more of a suppression of her imagination, not her expression of it. This also results in situational irony, where John’s treatment, instead of helping his wife from hysteria, backfires and worsens the depression she had