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The Yellow Wallpaper: An Overview

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The Yellow Wallpaper: An Overview
The Yellow Wallpaper

I think The Yellow Wallpaper is a perfect example of how women feel in their roles as women. I think it’s interesting that the narrator remains anonymous throughout the story, which I think is symbolic for her role in society. From day one women have always disagreed with how they are treated by society, men, and just in general. I think the wallpaper is significant for many things including the structure of medication, family, marriage, and traditional roles women play. The narrator feels trapped in the “wallpaper.” I think Gilman used the wallpaper to symbolize women feeling trapped in the “traditional” views, and many other things in life.
I think the woman in the wallpaper is a symbol of the narrator because she sees the woman as a prisoner in the wallpaper, which is equivalent to how the narrator feels herself. She’s not able to fully live her own life without hearing about it from the men in her life and her family. This is relatable to the woman behind the wallpaper, who is unable to escape the wallpaper and live with freedom. Therefore, I think they are connected because of the lack of freedom.
I think this goes right along with the theme of the story, the toll it takes on women. Gilman uses the paper to show the theme by the actions of the men, the way society treats women, and by the narrator going crazy by the way society feels women should be. I think the theme would be the disrespect in families, marriage, medicine, and life that women face. This story is relatable by many women who are prisoners in their marriage or by their family.
“If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency—what is one to do? So I take phosphates or phosphites—whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to “work” until I am well again. Personally, I

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