The Yellow Wall-Paper," Charlotte Gilman
Woman oppression had a huge impact in society, especially in the 19th century. They were repressed and controlled by their husband and other male influences. In The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the main character is oppressed by her husband John. The author uses symbolism to show the protagonist emotion, the oppression of women by men and the struggle against that male dominated society.
Throughout "The Yellow Wall-Paper," Charlotte Gilman uses various symbols to show the oppression of women by men, and the continuing struggle to escape that oppression. Even the tile is symbolic itself. The yellow wall-paper is an indication of the mental restrictions that were placed upon women by men during the 1800s. As yellow is oft considered the color of sickness or weakness, the sickness that the writer suffers from is the continuing oppression and struggle that continues to this very day by women. The yellow wallpaper acts like a mental and physical entrapment for the main character. At the end of the story, the main character rips down the yellow wallpaper to release the woman behind the paper. This was symbolic because even though she saw a woman, this woman was her. When the narrator was angry she put that onto the wallpaper, so that is why she ripped the wallpaper down. She was trapped behind the pattern and she couldn’t move from it. This is the point where her sickness has gotten to the worst extent. The wallpaper led her to create her own madness. The main character says in the story, “There are things in the wallpaper that nobody knows about but me, or ever will.” Not even John knew what was really going on because he was always working and never took his wife’s thoughts too seriously. The wallpaper blocks her into that small room. She feels like she cannot get better in that room. In a sense she can’t get better because of the things preventing her from resting. Her eyes are constantly on the yellow wallpaper. Her mind also feels she
Throughout "The Yellow Wall-Paper," Charlotte Gilman uses various symbols to show the oppression of women by men, and the continuing struggle to escape that oppression. Even the tile is symbolic itself. The yellow wall-paper is an indication of the mental restrictions that were placed upon women by men during the 1800s. As yellow is oft considered the color of sickness or weakness, the sickness that the writer suffers from is the continuing oppression and struggle that continues to this very day by women. The yellow wallpaper acts like a mental and physical entrapment for the main character. At the end of the story, the main character rips down the yellow wallpaper to release the woman behind the paper. This was symbolic because even though she saw a woman, this woman was her. When the narrator was angry she put that onto the wallpaper, so that is why she ripped the wallpaper down. She was trapped behind the pattern and she couldn’t move from it. This is the point where her sickness has gotten to the worst extent. The wallpaper led her to create her own madness. The main character says in the story, “There are things in the wallpaper that nobody knows about but me, or ever will.” Not even John knew what was really going on because he was always working and never took his wife’s thoughts too seriously. The wallpaper blocks her into that small room. She feels like she cannot get better in that room. In a sense she can’t get better because of the things preventing her from resting. Her eyes are constantly on the yellow wallpaper. Her mind also feels she