In her story, The Yellow Wallpaper, Charlotte Perkins Stetson uses the theme “imprisonment” to show a woman’s slow fall into insanity. The woman in her story had been diagnosed with a “nervous disorder” by her husband and was prescribed isolation and medication. However, her treatment only seems to worsen her condition until it takes her sanity to its breaking point.
Their temporary stay at their isolated house seemed like her imprisonment from the beginning; she described her room to have barred windows, rings on the walls, and a bed nailed to the floor (648). Her description eerily seems to illustrate a prison cell or a room in a mental institution. This symbolizes, if not implies the possibility of, her being a prisoner, either to the house or to her mental condition. Whichever the case, the room did not help her as expected. In fact, it only worsened her health by making her actually believe that she was ill and that she needed her husband’s prescribed treatment. …show more content…
She believes that the stimulus from being social and active would benefit her, but she avoids it because her husband disagrees (648). Once again, her treatment seems more like imprisonment, and like a prisoner, she isn’t allowed to interact with society or do as she pleases. Even when she goes out, the farthest she is allowed is only her garden (650). This highlights her physical limitations, set by her husband and enforced by their maid. After a while, the lack of social interaction and physical activity would drive most people
Their temporary stay at their isolated house seemed like her imprisonment from the beginning; she described her room to have barred windows, rings on the walls, and a bed nailed to the floor (648). Her description eerily seems to illustrate a prison cell or a room in a mental institution. This symbolizes, if not implies the possibility of, her being a prisoner, either to the house or to her mental condition. Whichever the case, the room did not help her as expected. In fact, it only worsened her health by making her actually believe that she was ill and that she needed her husband’s prescribed treatment. …show more content…
She believes that the stimulus from being social and active would benefit her, but she avoids it because her husband disagrees (648). Once again, her treatment seems more like imprisonment, and like a prisoner, she isn’t allowed to interact with society or do as she pleases. Even when she goes out, the farthest she is allowed is only her garden (650). This highlights her physical limitations, set by her husband and enforced by their maid. After a while, the lack of social interaction and physical activity would drive most people