Analysis Of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Woman Inside: The Yellow Wallpaper

The Woman Inside “The Yellow Wallpaper” Charlotte Perkins Gilman writes about stories that pertain to her personal life such as “The Yellow Wallpaper.” She is also known for being a feminist and some of her work explains the type of person that she is. After getting married and having a child, Charlotte struggled with the same psychological disorder that the narrator portrays in this short story. Gilman says that the disorder nearly drove her crazy. However, Gilman’s short story is not just about the psychological disorder, her stories are also used to make a point about feminism. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a type of short story that is considered an artistic masterpiece written in 1892. Although the protagonist is not named she creates her own identity and actions by obsessing over the yellow wallpaper included in the room (Barbara Hochman, 2002, p. 90). This short story brings up many controversial ideas about psychological disorders and feminist perspectives. “The Yellow

The room or nursey symbolizes a prison or a type of mental institute that the narrator cannot escape. The wallpaper is a symbol of “prison bars.” In other words, the wallpaper reminds the narrator that she is trapped by her husband and her disorder. Another symbol in the story is the woman in the wallpaper. The narrator sees the wallpaper almost like a mirror. The wallpaper shows the narrator her true self and the woman that she sees in the wallpaper is herself. Ultimately, the narrator discovers a new identity and sense of self when she starts connecting herself to the woman in the yellow wallpaper (Barbra Suess, 2003, para. 31). She sees herself crawling around the floor and trapped like so many other women like her. “Gilman’s narrator, therefore, positions herself as a type of pioneering sibyl who sometimes unwittingly voices dark truths about the status of women in America” (Carol Davison, 2004, p.