The Yellow Wallpaper Essay

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a short story written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the late 19th century, which explores the physical and mental deterioration of a woman who is prescribed the "rest cure" for her postpartum depression. The protagonist is a married woman who is forced to take the "rest cure" by her husband and Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell. In the process of the "rest cure", she was locked in a room with yellow wallpaper, which gradually deteriorated her mental state. The “rest cure” was a popular treatment for women's mental illness at the time, and it consisted of total bed rest, isolation, and a lack of intellectual stimulation.

There are many elements related to Gothic literature and Gothic style in "Yellow Wallpaper". Gothic literature

The house is a large colonial building. It has fine details, but these details are like a prison cage, which trapped the protagonist in it. "It was nursery first and then playroom and gymnasium, I should judge; for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls." (The Yellow Wallpaper). Here "barred" appears more than once in the story, obviously not only for the safety of the children in the story but also for the imprisonment of the heroine in the story. This architectural style expresses the depression and restraint of the protagonist, this constraint comes from the expectations of society and the stereotype of women. In addition, the symbolic significance of the architectural style during the colonial period is also manifested in the color of the house. The house in the novel is described as "yellow wallpaper". This color shows the oppression and control of the protagonist as a woman. The protagonist expresses her inner changes and liberation through the changes in the wallpaper, and also symbolizes that she tries to get rid of the constraints of society and family. However, the architectural style of the colonial period is still the cage that she cannot escape, reflecting the long-term adverse effects of colonialism on

Silas Weir Mitchell is a doctor in "Yellow Wallpaper". He recommends and performed the “rest care” for the protagonist. The protagonist's dissatisfaction and resistance to the “rest care” was regarded as a symptom of hallucinations and strengthened her restrictions on the “rest care”. This mandatory medical method will only exacerbate the hero's condition, making her more desperate and helpless. And Mitchell didn't understand the real situation of the protagonist. He just heard her husband's report and judged the protagonist's condition. This also shows that doctors do not listen to patients, but treat them as the targets of medical