Symbolism In The Yellow Wallpaper

In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper”, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Jane is going insane due to her husband's patriarchy. She is in a room all day with this yellow wallpaper that is driving her insane. She believes that the wallpaper is holding her captive, and eventually tears down the wallpaper. After she gets rid of the wallpaper she believes that she is free, and said that her husband was trying to keep her contained as well. This part in the story is when Jane reaches her breaking point. After John sees this she is also freed from her husband’s patriarchy. The author’s message is to be free from patriarchy. This is shown throughout the text in multiple different ways. Two ways she showed this was by using symbolism. One symbol

John symbolizes patriarchy, and how John controls her and whatever Jane does. John also tells Jane that she is not really sick and that she can just feel better whenever she wants. He represents how in the nineteenth century how men had full power over women and anything that they wanted to do. Another symbol that relates to the author's purpose is the window. In the article, it states “I always fancy I see people walking in these numerous paths and arbors, but John has cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the least. He says that with my imaginative power and habit of story-making, a nervous weakness like mine is sure to lead to all manner

She showed this in many different ways, but the main way was symbolism. Two symbols that she used to show gothicism, along with the message of the story of freedom from patriarchy, were the key and the wallpaper. With the key, Jane did not want to be let out of the room unless it was by her husband, John. The text explains “I have locked the door and thrown the key down into the front path. I don't want to go out, and I don't want to have anybody come in, till John comes” (Gilman 211-212). By throwing the key away, Jane was showing how she was trapped and needed someone's help to be let free. The key represents how Jane is trapped by a patriarchal society. Jane throwing the key represents the contrarians finally being broken, and John opening the door symbolizes the reality of women and their mental health issues. The wallpaper also represents gothicism and helps represent the message that goes along with the story. In the short story, it says “Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it! All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths just shriek with derision” (Gilman 216)! The wallpaper was what is making her go insane, and Jane tearing it off should make it so that she is released from all stress, and bring back her sanity, but in reality, it was her breaking