Interpretation And Depiction In The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Interpretation and depiction are the apparatus that fuels the growth and countless viewpoints of any story. Short stories are extremely susceptible to this, and Charlotte Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” is no exception to this claim. After searching multiple outlets in regards to critical inquiries it became clearly apparent that the short story had an immense following of critics from all arrays of thought and portrayal. Although, after reading the story it is difficult to recognize, however it leaves the reader under full freedom of judgment of what to mentally take away. Out of the numerous number of choices for the interpretations these three were chosen for their unique and interesting takes are: Sarah Crowder, Liselle Sant, and Catherine
She explains the context of how the situation came to be, her husband momentarily acquired a house and grounds for the duration of their summer vacation. Her husband John who is also a doctor is caring and accompanying for Jane throughout their trip and her mental endeavor. Jane primarily roams around the large estate by herself in constant curiosity not only about the house but her acclaimed illness that her husband diagnosed. The illness prevented Jane from partaking in anything active, which includes writing, however Jane finds relief from writing which in return creates a secret journal unknown to the husband. Jane extensively writes and dwells on the wallpaper in the bedroom described as disturbing because of its strange, formless patterns, that she finds “revolting”. As the story furthers on the wallpaper completely devours Janes imagination with menacing thoughts. Interpretation and whole mystery of the wallpapers meaning and story behind the cracks and tears soon become Janes purpose and not to be found out by anyone but
Crowder has an interesting feminist take of “The Yellow Wallpaper” for the Lonestar, Crowder explains the story through a feminist lens and provides examples from her viewpoint. She opens by stating that the author Charlotte Gilman assumable did not intend on her work to be regarded as “classical feminist literature. Her first of many claims does not dig into the story directly but rather view it form the roots, the author. Crowder explains that it is difficult to discuss the meaning of the story without viewing it from the authors own personal experiences. “The Yellow Wallpaper” gives an account of a woman driven to madness as a result of the Victorian “rest-cure”…… As Gary Scharnhorst points out, this treatment originated with Dr. Weir Mitchell, who personally prescribed this “cure” to Gilman herself. She was in fact driven to near madness and later claimed to have written “The Yellow Wallpaper” to protest this treatment of women like herself, and specifically to address Dr. Weir Mitchell with a “propaganda piece.” (Crowder). Without a doubt the author is not just being speculative or assuming what conditions may have been like because she went through the horrific process of that time, in retaliation to the being on the brink of insanity “The Yellow Wallpaper” was conceived. “Central to the story is the wallpaper itself. It is within the wallpaper that the narrator finds her hidden self and her eventual damnation/freedom” (Crowder). Without the constant