One of the major strengths presented in the story is the historical issue of the social, cultural, and stereotypical gender roles in society during the late 19th century, which drives the story. The female characters have stereotypical domestic roles, Jennie as a housekeeper and Mary the nanny, which typifies the role of women in the 19th century. The use of first person limited omniscient to convey the story allows the reader to get into the narrator’s head, follow her madness, and offer sympathy for her suffering. Additionally, the narrator is not just a character; she dominates the story and is an effective plot device, shaping the reader’s feelings about her personally, and the people in her life. In my opinion, I consider Gilman’s objective
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After the narrator enters the grounds of the mansion, she uses her descriptive voice in her interpretation of the facilities and finally remarks, “There is something strange about the house I can feel it,” which captures the reader’s attention drawing you into her mysterious thoughts. There is a gothic feel to the story, a distraught female, the threatening mansion, and the powerfully repressive male antagonist. Gilman wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper,” as social criticism and only uses these elements to enhance the mood of the story. Gilman adds suspense as the narrator locks the nursery door; John forcibly enters finding his wife crawling around the perimeter walls and faints in disbelief. As the story closes the narrator has distanced herself from John when she says, “It is no use young man, you can’t open it,” she no longer fears John and refers to him as “that man.” The tone of the story adds strength given clues to the narrator’s hesitation and insecurity at the beginning of the story. This is clearly due to the fact the narrator does not question her diagnosis or treatment of the rest cure, allowing John to move them to the mansion, taking her motherly duties away, confining her to a room he selects, and
After the narrator enters the grounds of the mansion, she uses her descriptive voice in her interpretation of the facilities and finally remarks, “There is something strange about the house I can feel it,” which captures the reader’s attention drawing you into her mysterious thoughts. There is a gothic feel to the story, a distraught female, the threatening mansion, and the powerfully repressive male antagonist. Gilman wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper,” as social criticism and only uses these elements to enhance the mood of the story. Gilman adds suspense as the narrator locks the nursery door; John forcibly enters finding his wife crawling around the perimeter walls and faints in disbelief. As the story closes the narrator has distanced herself from John when she says, “It is no use young man, you can’t open it,” she no longer fears John and refers to him as “that man.” The tone of the story adds strength given clues to the narrator’s hesitation and insecurity at the beginning of the story. This is clearly due to the fact the narrator does not question her diagnosis or treatment of the rest cure, allowing John to move them to the mansion, taking her motherly duties away, confining her to a room he selects, and