The Symbolism Of The Narrator In The Yellow Wallpaper

In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator becomes obsessed with the unsightly wallpaper in the room that she rests in constantly. Her description of this room---and more importantly, the wallpaper---reveals her growing insanity and conflicting feelings about her husband. Each thing the narrator notices about the wallpaper exposes the chaos within her mind. Furthermore, she also utilizes a darker tone and vivid imagery, which gives the reader another deeper understanding of the narrator. The description of the room can also be applied to the narrator herself and her relationship with her husband. When observing the wallpaper, the narrator notes, “It is stripped off---the paper---in great patches all around the head of my bed.” (314) There are pieces of the paper missing from the wall, just as there are missing pieces of who the narrator used to be before her mental illness. This is the first comparison of the wallpaper to the narrator. It is evident that the woman is also somewhat repulsed by the color and …show more content…
For instance, she embodies a dark, exasperated tone when noticing the detailed, yet disturbing pattern of the yellow wall: “When you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide.” (314) It is important to note that the narrator finds a way to connect an artistically offensive wallpaper to a dark theme of suicide. This somber tone reveals the turmoil within the narrator’s mind. She also uses vivid imagery to describe the color of the walls, showing that she is obsessing over it with an almost disturbing amount of interest. This is palpable when she describes, “It is a dull yet lurid orange, in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in others.” (314) Through this imagery, it is effortless to picture the narrator scrutinizing the disconcerting color of the wallpaper and imagine the unappealing sight as she sees