The Yellow Wall-Paper

The Yellow Wall-Paper

The short story "The Yellow Wall-Paper" written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a cry for
freedom. This story is about a woman who fights for her right to express what she feels, and fights for her
right to do what she wants to do. The narrator in this short story is a woman whose husband loves her very
much, but oppresses her to the point where she cannot take it anymore. This story revolves around the
main character, her oppressed life, and her search for freedom.
There are many male influences in this woman's life and although they may mean no harm, push
her over the edge. The main character's husband, John, and her brother are well-known physicians. They
use their power to control the main character, perhaps subconsciously, to feel what they think a woman
should feel. For example, the woman tells the men she is sick but they believe differently. "John is a
physician, and perhaps- (I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great
relief to my mind-) perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster. You see he does not believe I am
sick!"(507) The men are under the impression that what they say goes and therefore the woman has no
choice but to follow. "He knows there is no reason to suffer and that satisfies him."(508) This quote
illustrates that the men are in control. If they strongly believe nothing is wrong, then nothing must be
wrong. It is a feeling of self satisfaction the men feel ...

The Yellow Wall-Paper

Login

Join