Literary Analysis of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Highlighting the Effects of Misogyny in “The Yellow Wallpaper”
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is written from the perspective of a woman struggling with mental illness in the late 1800s. Her symptoms, today, would likely result in a diagnosis of postpartum depression and/or psychosis, since she had just had a baby. However, her husband, John, who is also her doctor, sees this illness as a “temporary nervous depression - a slight hysterical tendency” (Gilman 10). She is forced to spend time resting alone, forbidden to do any kind of work (Gilman 12), so she becomes obsessed with the wallpaper in her room and begins to see herself trapped inside its pattern (Gilman 249). As the audience follows the narrator, her condition worsens, however her husband seems to think that she is improving; this is largely due to the societal perception of women at the time. This kind of perception contributes to the demise of the narrator’s mental state as the treatment in which she is prescribed only serves to make her feel more trapped than ever before.
The narrator was prescribed a “rest cure” which was standard for treating neurasthenia (depression, insomnia, anxiety, etc.) in women, however, the same doctor who recommended this kind of treatment for women prescribed nervous men a completely opposite regimen. He prescribed men a “West cure” in which men were sent “out West to engage in prolonged periods of cattle roping, hunting, roughriding and male bonding” (Stiles 2). This is, of course, in stark contrast to the “rest cure” that the narrator had to endure even though she thought that “congenial work, with excitement and change” (Gilman 14), like what was prescribed to men, would be beneficial to her mental state. However, men and women were prescribed treatments that would “reinforce “proper” sexual behavior” (Stiles 12), pushing women into domestic lifestyles while encouraging men to get out and challenge themselves physically. In addition to these treatments being designed to reinforce traditional gender roles, the “West cure” proved to be very effective, transformative, and even refreshing for men, while the “rest cure” was not regarded as a “pleasant experience” (Stiles 6), only further representing the unequal treatment of men and women. Gilman’s narrator expresses that the only thing that brings her solace is writing her feelings out as she experiences them (62), but this is forbidden because it goes against the treatment plan’s goal of domesticating women since this could potentially encourage her to pursue more intellectual endeavors.
John’s sister, Jennie’s character, serves to show that even women during this time were brainwashed into believing that this domestic role was best for them. Gilman’s narrator says that Jennie is very careful to watch her and make sure she is properly following the treatment protocols (76). She goes so far to say that she thinks Jennie blames her mental illness on writing itself (77), probably due to the fact that women were strongly discouraged from pursuing any kind of intellectual endeavors. The narrator becomes brainwashed in the story, herself, now wary of leaving the room with the yellow wallpaper because “outside you have to creep on the ground and everything is green instead of yellow” (Gilman 252). This line illustrates the fear that was instilled into women surrounding intellectual or financial pursuits of their own, since they quickly became accustomed to living domestic lives, forbidden from having any other dreams.
Gilman’s narrator, herself, believes the treatment she is receiving is only making her condition worse, but when she expresses concern to her husband, he simply laughs at her and dismisses her at every turn (5). However, the narrator is not surprised by this because “one expects that in marriage” (Gilman 5), showing that even if she weren’t experiencing any mental challenges, she would still be seen as inferior to her husband, undeserving of his respect. She tells the audience that her husband, John, “does not believe that [she is] sick” (Gilman 8), despite all of the concerns she has expressed to him because he can’t find a reason for it (Gilman 45). He is constantly belittling the narrator by telling her to trust him because he is a doctor and knows that the treatment plan is working just fine, regardless of what the narrator says (Gilman 136). He gaslights her any time she expresses doubt surrounding the effectiveness of the “rest cure.” For instance, she tells him that she doesn’t feel as if she is improving and he says “bless her little heart… she shall be sick as she pleases” (Gilman 138), insinuating that she doesn’t know any better because she is nothing but a silly “little girl” (Gilman 133) in his mind.
The wallpaper, itself, represents the female condition at this time due to the misogynistic ideas that loomed over women, keeping them locked into a domestic role. The narrator mentions the ugly pattern on the wallpaper several times throughout the story, but she later notices another pattern on top of the back pattern (Gilman 80). These patterns later become identified as a woman trapped behind bars (153), as the narrator begins to project her own mental state onto the wallpaper. She expresses concern, for there may be more women stuck inside “trying to climb through. But nobody could climb through that pattern - it strangles so” (Gilman 190-193). The top pattern, or the bars, can be interpreted as the patriarchal ideas that have influenced the treatment of women in every aspect of their lives. This is why the narrator laments about how many women have found themselves trapped in that wallpaper & how impossible it is to escape.
“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman highlights the treatment of women in the 19th century, as its narrator struggles with her mental health during her postpartum period, and her husband, who is a doctor, only serves to make her condition worse due to the misogynistic influence on the medical field. Although the narrator has her own ideas concerning her treatment plan, her husband’s belief about her mental state is held in much higher value than her own, as traditional gender roles would dictate. This story was monumental in terms of changing the way that mental illness is addressed for women, and it helped to combat the medical misogyny that Gilman, herself, faced after being prescribed a “rest cure” that only worsened her condition (Stiles 1).
Works Cited
Gilman, Charlotte. “The Yellow Wallpaper” Compact Anthology of World Literature: The 17th and 18th Centuries (Part 4), edited by Anita Turlington, Matthew Horton, Karen Dodson, Laura Getty, Kyounghye Kwon, Laura Ng, University of North Georgia Press, 2018.
Stiles, Anne. “Go Rest, Young Man.” Monitor on Psychology, American Psychological Association, https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/01/go-rest.
