Yellow Wallpaper Symbols
Caitlin Ramsey
English 102
April 5, 2007
Chief Symbols in The Yellow Wallpaper Gender roles play a significant part in The Yellow Wallpaper, represented heavily by the physical yellow wallpaper in the bedroom of the summer mansion. This story, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, even begins on the first page and throughout the entire story, the narrator portrays women in the common air of being dominated by men. Especially during this time, women were oppressed not only by their husbands but also by any male figure. For example, on page 28 she says, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage personally, I disagree with their ideas but what is one supposed to do?" The results of what happens in The Yellow Wallpaper …show more content…
Throughout the story, she emphasizes one pattern while repressing another, and then the emphases goes to a different part of the pattern. She regroups her own impressions to make pictures, and becomes obsessed with trying to find a meaning. When the narrator caught Jennie staring at the wallpaper, seeming to try and find out a pattern herself, she states, " and I am determined that nobody shall find it out but myself!" (37). The pattern also changes with the time of day and the amount of light in the room, as well as the type of light used. She gives us a huge clue when she talks about how at night the wallpaper and its patterns becomes barriers, keeping the woman trapped, and during the day she remains quiet. As she slowly becomes more and more wrapped up in the patterns, she says that her life is "very much more exciting now than it used to be" (37). She slowly decreases her distinguishing between herself and the woman behind the wallpaper. She even talks about them as one, saying " and before morning we had peeled off yards of that paper" (39). She remains conscious in her quest to be the only one who finishes the job, claiming the next day to Jennie that she simply just let the wallpaper get the best of her and decided that she was going to destroy it so it could no longer torture
English 102
April 5, 2007
Chief Symbols in The Yellow Wallpaper Gender roles play a significant part in The Yellow Wallpaper, represented heavily by the physical yellow wallpaper in the bedroom of the summer mansion. This story, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, even begins on the first page and throughout the entire story, the narrator portrays women in the common air of being dominated by men. Especially during this time, women were oppressed not only by their husbands but also by any male figure. For example, on page 28 she says, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage personally, I disagree with their ideas but what is one supposed to do?" The results of what happens in The Yellow Wallpaper …show more content…
Throughout the story, she emphasizes one pattern while repressing another, and then the emphases goes to a different part of the pattern. She regroups her own impressions to make pictures, and becomes obsessed with trying to find a meaning. When the narrator caught Jennie staring at the wallpaper, seeming to try and find out a pattern herself, she states, " and I am determined that nobody shall find it out but myself!" (37). The pattern also changes with the time of day and the amount of light in the room, as well as the type of light used. She gives us a huge clue when she talks about how at night the wallpaper and its patterns becomes barriers, keeping the woman trapped, and during the day she remains quiet. As she slowly becomes more and more wrapped up in the patterns, she says that her life is "very much more exciting now than it used to be" (37). She slowly decreases her distinguishing between herself and the woman behind the wallpaper. She even talks about them as one, saying " and before morning we had peeled off yards of that paper" (39). She remains conscious in her quest to be the only one who finishes the job, claiming the next day to Jennie that she simply just let the wallpaper get the best of her and decided that she was going to destroy it so it could no longer torture