The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

This text is a short story written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman to reject America’s patriarchal society that gave women little to no rights. It was written during the nineteenth century when women were prescribed the
“rest cure” to help them recover from mental illnesses. This story is about a woman, Jane, who suffers from post-partum depression and has been prescribed the rest cure and was told to take a vacation with her husband to rest. Gilman uses Jane as an example to explain that women should be given a say in their medical care instead of being controlled by their husbands. Through close first-person narration and symbolism, Gilman critiques America's patriarchal society.
Gilman includes intimate first-person narration to point out the

The audience can then understand her thoughts and, more specifically, how Jane feels isolated and trapped in her society. Readers are also able to connect more with Jane, allowing Gilman’s message to spread to wider audiences. Jane states, “John is a physician, and perhaps—(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind—) perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster” (Gilman 3). Jane provides the readers with additional information concerning John, her husband. In this case, readers are able to see that Jane believes John is actually causing her condition to worsen. Gilman includes her perspective on the “rest cure” through Jane’s thoughts by saying that men are causing women to delve deeper into their mental illness by isolating them from the rest of society. Later in the story, Jane states, “I don’t know why I should write this. I don’t want to. I don’t feel able. And I know John would think it absurd. But I must say what I feel and think in some way—it is such a relief!” (Gilman 10). Jane said this after John told her to stop writing in her journal. Jane loves writing and

This is proven when John states, “Your exercise depends on your strength, my dear,... and your food somewhat on your appetite; but your air you can absorb all the time” (Gilman 5). He believes that her anxiety and depression are caused by her lack of energy which is a simple issue that can be resolved with proper nutrition. John is clearly oblivious to Jane’s mental state and does not care to comprehend
Jane’s disposition. He is very controlling towards Jane and attempts to invalidate her feelings. The author states,
“At first he meant to repaper the room, but afterward he said that I was letting it get the better of me and that nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fancies” (Gilman 6). When Jane expressed her apprehensions about the wallpaper, John disregarded her feelings and basically told her to ignore the wallpaper.
John downplays her condition and thinks of him as superior to Jane because she is a woman and he is a male physician who knows best. Gilman uses John to explain how America’s patriarchal society ignores the needs of women and focuses on male dominance over women.
Gilman wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper” during a time when women were considered inferior to men