The Yellow Wallpaper Essay: Summary & Analysis

The Yellow Wallpaper is a famous short story written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892. The story follows the protagonist, a woman who suffers from depression and is told to rest in bed and take care of her health. She soon finds out that she has been locked up in an attic so as to keep her from her husband.

In this paper, I am going to summarize the story and analyze the reasons for which this woman falls into depression. Then I will review some of the discussions on whether or not it is a feminist masterpiece. Finally, I will give my opinion on whether or not it is a feminist masterpiece with many examples.

The Yellow Wallpaper tells the story of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's own attempt to heal through rest after giving birth to three children in rapid succession.

Introduction

The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It was first published in 1892. The protagonist of the story suffers from depression and agoraphobia, which is what led her to be prescribed the wallpaper that caused her to become even more trapped inside herself. The story's focus is on how women are given no freedom or independence in the late 1800s, and how they were often prescribed to rest or take medication when they were experiencing mental illnesses.

The Yellow Wallpaper: Summary

The Yellow Wallpaper, a short story written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892, is about a woman who suffers from postpartum depression and is placed on bed rest to combat her illness. Her husband forbids her to work or have any intellectual stimulation which leads to her mental deterioration. The story ends with the protagonist murdering her husband and then killing herself by jumping out of a window.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s life was not as glamorous as one might think. As a child she was not allowed to study mathematics and science because it was believed that these would have been too much for her frail female body. However, she did excel in art which became her favorite subject later in life.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's life changed when she became pregnant with her first child.

The Yellow Wallpaper: Literary Analysis

The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story written in 1892 by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. It is about a woman who falls into depression after being shut away from society and her husband.

Gilman wrote the story as an allegory for the oppression of women in late nineteenth century America and as a protest against the then-widespread practice of sending women to live in sanitariums for mental illnesses they did not have. The main character's descent into mental illness can be seen as symbolic of Gilman's own experience, during which she was placed under similar restrictions while trying to recover from what was likely postpartum depression following the birth of her first daughter, Katherine.

Conclusion

The Yellow Wallpaper is a story about a woman who is, in the words of the narrator (her husband), "not right in her mind." The narrator also tells us that she has long been suffering from "a nervous complaint."

The woman's symptoms include depression resulting from being overworked and not allowed to be outside. She spends her time making paper dolls and fantasizing about life away from home.

This is not an easy story to read because it will make you uncomfortable. But it is important because it forces us to question what we think about mental illness and how we treat those who have it.