The Yellow Wallpaper Response

“The paint and paper look as if a boy’s school had used it. It is stripped off – the paper – in great patches all around the head of my bed, about as far as I can reach, and in a great place on the other side of the room low down I never saw worse paper in my life.” (Gilman 1) I believe the wallpaper represents the narrator’s livelihood and health. Throughout the story the narrator speaks all about how much she hates the wallpaper and describes it in great detail. However, it progressively gets worse and worse as the story goes on. The narrator begins describing the wallpaper negatively, but with an unsatisfactory vibe. “The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight.” (Gilman 1) At this point in the story, the narrator has just been introduced to her room and is acquainting herself with the surroundings. Thus, it only seems fitting for her to have opinions. I believe the unsatisfied opinion of the wallpaper
I believe this serves to represent the overall destruction and demise of the narrator. Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it!” (Gilman 1) The further the narrator goes to rid herself of the wallpaper, the closer she gets to complete madness. By the end of the story I believe the wallpaper finally drove the narrator to ultimate insanity. I believe she even commits suicide. “But I am securely fastened now by my well hidden rope—you don’t get me out in the road there!” (Gilman 1) By conclusion, I believe the wallpaper in The Yellow Wallpaper serves to represent the wellbeing of the narrator. As the journal progresses, the wallpaper is torn apart by detail first, but later torn apart by hand. From unhealthy to completely mad to dead, I believe each phase of the narrator can be understood through the analysis of the