The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Throughout history, women have been relegated to subordinate roles in society, subjected to the authority of men, and forced to conform to their expectations. This subjugation has resulted in dismissing women’s feelings and perpetuating the notion that they are inferior to men. In The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the narrator suffers from a similar situation, where she has a mental illness that John, her husband, dismisses. Throughout the story, John does not validate the narrator's emotions and forcefully isolates her in a house. Many critics, including Denise Knight, highlight John's controlling and dismissive nature and how it caused her to break down in the end. The narrator's initial state of depression significantly progresses

In contrast, others will argue that he was completely aware and was looking out for her. I believe that John is ignorant and sees no interest in the narrator's feelings. Denise Knight claims that John sees the narrator's condition as a joke; according to Knight, "Another cause of the narrator's anger is that John laughs at her, suggesting that he views her as foolish and immature, a point underscored by his reference to her as a "blessed little goose" and a "little girl" (Knight). In essence, Knight agrees that John is an ignorant and vain person. She addresses that John mocks the narrator and sees her illness as completely bogus; this causes her to become very angry. I agree with Knight’s argument that John is selfish and is a factor in her angry breakdown. Throughout the story, John depicts many signs of being self-absorbed and does not acknowledge the narrator's emotions. In The Yellow Wallpaper, a statement from John that supports Knight's claim is, "I cannot possibly leave town just now. Of course, if you were in any danger, I could and would, but you really are bet­ter, dear, whether you can see it or not. I am a doctor, dear, and I know." (Gilman). In

After all, this scene can be interpreted in many ways. However, after discussing all the factors before her breakdown, I accept that her breakdown results from resentment built against John. In Knight's view, "It is a combination of rage and rebellion that drives her to such drastic ends. So powerful is the visual depiction of her condition--a condition John refuses to acknowledge--that he faints when he finally gains entrance to the locked room." (Knight). As Knight has highlighted, she concludes that the narrator's breakdown is due to her resentment toward John. She tears down the Wallpaper out of anger and rebellion to show John the true nature of her condition. As I have discussed, this anger has been triggered by the continuous dismissal of her feelings and especially isolation. Since John does not believe the true gravity of her condition, she tears the Wallpaper. I wholeheartedly concur with Knight's assertion; however, I did notice another factor leading to her breakdown. From the story's beginning, it is clear that the narrator highly detests the Wallpaper, "I'm getting really fond of the room in spite of the wallpaper. Perhaps because of the wallpaper." (Gilman). Even though she constantly expressed her animosity towards the Wallpaper, John forced her to live in it. In addition, despite her asking John numerous times to change the Wallpaper, he ignored her. The narrator was essentially