Haley Byrd

Professor Christie Linger

English 150-01
29 September 2014
Title
It would be nearly impossible for one to remain healthy in a putrid environment. The
narrator in Charlotte Perkins Gilmans The Yellow Wallpaper describes her bedroom as a large
drafty room, decorated with a yellow-tinted wallpaper that is ripped in various proportions, with
barred, inescapable windows (479). The Yellow Wallpaper is set in the mid to late 1800s, a
time when men were viewed as the dominant and more profound sex. Gilman guides us through
the biasedness of the time by utilizing the narrator in her story. The narrator expresses how
discriminating society was, as well as how a woman was expected to behave. The narrator also
helps move the story along by describing her depression. She gives insight to how this ailment
affects the mind and body. The narrator portrays each of these conflicts well. Her
characterizations allow us to relate to a stereotypical woman of the time and the aspects of
depression.
Womens views of situations, especially medical, were not taken into consideration. The
narrator tells us that there is no hope in opposing such a high-ranked doctor (478). This gives
insight that women and their opinions were not held at a prestige. Women were not as credited at
men, especially in the medical field. Despite the fact that the narrator is a major, round character;
her thoughts about what is best for her are ignored. John prescribes his wife to take many tonics,
even though she states: Personally I believe that congenital work, with excitement and change,
would do me good (478-9). This thought is internal. She does not speak it aloud because it

would have no effect on her husbands judgment. Societys view of women kept them on a lower
platform than men. Women were also expected to respect and tend to their husbands.
During The Yellow Wallpapers time, women were expected to highly respect their
husbands. This is seen in many cases through out the plot. I would not be so silly as to make
him uncomfortable just for a whim (480). Even though the narrator would rather be in a
different bedroom, she puts her husbands thoughts above her own. This is a reflection of the
idea that a womans role was to please her husband; he was the first priority. This same idea is
also relevant when the narrator agrees to say nothing more of the matter that despite how she
appears physically, she feels mentally ill (484). She does not continue the conversation in fear of
disturbing her husband. She with holds her true outlook of the matter because it is the societal
norm. In comparison, one can associate the strong demands of society with mental instability.
Physicians did not think of depression as a serious illness. Many physicians thought of it
as a controllable disease that could be cured by ones own self. The narrator expresses the day-today struggles of living with the disease. In paragraph 48, she tells us: Nobody would believe
what an effort it is to do what little I am able, --to dress and entertain, and order things (480).
Depression takes a tremendous toll on the mind and a persons capabilities. This statement shows
how debilitating depression is to a person. Depression affects ones motivation, resulting in the
near incapability to participate in even the simplest tasks.
Depression does not simply end, but it builds on top of itself. Through out the story the
narrator writes about being isolated in her bedroom with the horrid wallpaper. She describes the
paper as being irritating yet provoking (482). Then she begins to see the figure of a woman in the
paper trying to escape (487). Her thoughts represent the progression of depression. It begins as
small thought that slowly takes over the mind and body. The wallpaper is the depression that

holds the woman captive in her own thoughts and feelings. The fact that women were to uphold
such proper expectations could have lead to depression in numerous women. In the end of the
story the narrator frees the woman behind the wallpaper, which is actually herself, but fears she
will have to go back (489). This is a reflection that even when one gains freedom the dark cloud
of depression still lingers. Depression is an illness that takes continuous effort to overcome on a
daily basis, and one never quite heals.
The narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper shows how society viewed women, as well as
depression and its effects. The author, Gilman, achieves her goal of portraying these two issues
through the narrators characterization. The narrator was an internal first person narrator. The
story was developed through her experiences, in her tone and voice, meaning it was strictly form
the narrators point of view. The protagonist, narrator, has no name or description, thus she could
be any one individual. This means that these situations, societal views and depression, could
affect any woman. The narrators thoughts and actions mostly follow the expectations that
society held for women; she played this role well in helping to move the plot along. The author
was able to express both themes through the narrator by making her dynamic, in that the
stressors changed her over the course of the story. She was meeting the believed role of a woman
and hiding her depression at first, however over time she was unable to bear the weight of her
problems. This story was an eye opener about how much of an affect society can have on
people. Its true that words and expectations can hurt as badly as physical infractions. When faced
with isolation and doubt, an unwelcoming environment is of no help.