The Inequality Of Women In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” tells the story of a young wife as she visits their vacation home with her husband. The story is written in a journal form from the wife’s perspective which includes her interactions with the people around her and gives insights to her thoughts and true opinions about others. The story develops the characterization of the wife as she ascends to madness depicted through her actions which contrasts from the beginning to the ending of the story. Gilman uses the description of the narrator’s experiences to convey how women were treated during the treatment of mental illness in late 19th century.

Gilman uses the characterization of the husband to portray the inequality of women in marriage in the

This fear is visible as she hurriedly ends her journal entry when she says, “There’s sister on the stairs” (Gilman 301). The narrator is cautious not to get caught writing since it was prohibited during her treatment. This suggests the forced limitation put forth on her that restricted her individual self-expression. The narrator develops this fear into doubt as time advances. She explains, “I have found another funny thing, but I shan’t tell it this time! It does not do to trust people too much” (Gilman 310). With the increasing lack of variant activities and the bitter toxicity of the people around her, the narrator realizes that “It does not do to trust people too much” including the journal that she is writing. As Gilman develops the changes in narrator’s character, she reaches the peak of suspicion when she states, “But I am here, and no person touches this paper but me- not alive” (Gilman 311). The narrator indicates that she finds invaluable fascination which she is afraid to let anyone know and she is willing to go any extent, even hurt someone if she has to mentioning “not alive.” The ignorance and childlike behaviour led the narrator to find value in the wallpaper which she wants exclusively to keep to herself. The narrator’s doubt towards others around her grew through the lack of trustworthy communication and their dictatorial attitude toward