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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
Толкова кратък разказ с толкова много смисъл. Символиката, посланията, смущаващия начин, по който реалност и илюзия, разум и липса на разсъдър, съновидение и злободневие, хищно въображение и смазваща прагматика, мъжко и женско начало, любов и омраза се преплитат... Жълтият тапет е от онзи тип текстове, които колкото пъти прочиташ, толкова различни неща ще откриваш.
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It’s real, actually, dear god — how one could go insane by isolation!
Whether or not the plausibility of were true to us, it was nonetheless true to the woman. That yellow wallpaper, it was literal in her universe because that was the exact state of her mind, it had already presented itself to her
I read this at such a time when the lights in my room would dim and malfunction, along with transition to new medications. How restless and mad I was at the existence of these shifting, unstable phenomena!
Whether or not the plausibility of
Spoiler
women behind these wallsSpoiler
and was altering by itself.I read this at such a time when the lights in my room would dim and malfunction, along with transition to new medications. How restless and mad I was at the existence of these shifting, unstable phenomena!
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A woman, suffering from "a temporary nervous depression -- a slight hysterical tendency," is brought by her physician-husband to an idyllic manor wherein she is to rest and recover her strength. John, her husband, prohibits her doing any sort of activity, even reading and writing and seeing people, so that her recovery might not be slowed down. She does not like that, at all. But what she dislikes more is that horrid yellow wallpaper of the room where they are staying. By golly is that thing irritating, and impossible to ignore.
I cannot talk more about the plot without risking spoilers, but what follows is her descent into madness, recorded by her in a series of journal entries.
Well, what more is there to say? Quite a lot, such as how this is also a feminist text alongside being a psychological horror text, but that cannot be discussed without spoilers, and I encourage readers to investigate that angle by themselves. Another thing for those unfamiliar with horror -- when one hears the term, one thinks of a jumpscare-fest filled with ghosts and monsters and what not. This is a different type of horror -- the horror of one's own mind breaking down, a horror that unsettles and disturbs rather than jumpscares. This type of horror is known as psychological horror, and this short story is one of the best pieces of the sub-genre out there.
Well, what would I say overall? Highly unsettling, highly recommended.
I cannot talk more about the plot without risking spoilers, but what follows is her descent into madness, recorded by her in a series of journal entries.
Well, what more is there to say? Quite a lot, such as how this is also a feminist text alongside being a psychological horror text, but that cannot be discussed without spoilers, and I encourage readers to investigate that angle by themselves. Another thing for those unfamiliar with horror -- when one hears the term, one thinks of a jumpscare-fest filled with ghosts and monsters and what not. This is a different type of horror -- the horror of one's own mind breaking down, a horror that unsettles and disturbs rather than jumpscares. This type of horror is known as psychological horror, and this short story is one of the best pieces of the sub-genre out there.
Well, what would I say overall? Highly unsettling, highly recommended.
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
This short story is incredibly snappy and well paced in its depiction of the patriarchy silencing women and the structure of marriage dynamics in the 19th century. It has some incredible details covering the wall paper that drives the story, and it serves as a great tale about the power, and potential abuse, of benevolent patriarchal norms. Definitely worth the read
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
An interesting story, that's for sure!
I decided to read this now, as a companion piece to 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation' since they both have similar base premises; "A woman is secluded to 'rest' to 'help' her mental health", they both have nameless protagonists as well! Besides that they aren't THAT similar, for one in The Yellow Wallpaper she is forced to be in this room against her will and desperately tries to leave but is being forced to stay rather than it being something she forces upon herself.
It is interesting that the main character, I would say, stays self aware for the entire story. Yes, I think even after her 'descent' she is aware of the core feelings of everyone around her - especially her shitty husband. She is very aware that this 'treatment' isn't helping her, and she even knows what might hep her but she is ignored. Because 'getting better' is to be quiet and compliant, not to truly be happy.
One fairly small thing I liked about this story was how the protagonist gets tired doing very little. Because to truly rest, we need to have exercised - both physically and mentally. Because she isn't getting that exercise, she can't truly rest - hence why she is so tired..
I will say, this is likely a 'me' thing but I didn't really "get" the ending. She is peeling the wallpaper and I was confused as to whether she was IN the wallpaper or not. Surely if she was simply walking around, peeling wallpaper, that wouldn't be enough to make her husband faint? And she 'creeps' around him, I'll be honest in this context I'm not sure what she means - unless she is IN the wall?
I suppose we don't know what 'really' happened. Imagining is scarier than knowing.
Something else I noticed was that her husband and housekeeper also seem entranced by the wallpaper - albeit not to the same extent as the protagonist. Maybe they heard the woman in the wallpaper too? Or they are also getting arsenic poisoning but not as much as the protagonist (one interpretation of the story, since 19th century wallpaper had arsenic in it!)
In conclusion, I thought this was a well crafted short story that is very unnerving. It is a quick read (only being 62 pages) that has left me thinking about it for quite a bit after reading it. I will say it is almost more interesting as a thought piece than as prose one reads (at least that's how I feel). Not something I think I'll be forgetting anytime soon!
I decided to read this now, as a companion piece to 'My Year of Rest and Relaxation' since they both have similar base premises; "A woman is secluded to 'rest' to 'help' her mental health", they both have nameless protagonists as well! Besides that they aren't THAT similar, for one in The Yellow Wallpaper she is forced to be in this room against her will and desperately tries to leave but is being forced to stay rather than it being something she forces upon herself.
It is interesting that the main character, I would say, stays self aware for the entire story. Yes, I think even after her 'descent' she is aware of the core feelings of everyone around her - especially her shitty husband. She is very aware that this 'treatment' isn't helping her, and she even knows what might hep her but she is ignored. Because 'getting better' is to be quiet and compliant, not to truly be happy.
One fairly small thing I liked about this story was how the protagonist gets tired doing very little. Because to truly rest, we need to have exercised - both physically and mentally. Because she isn't getting that exercise, she can't truly rest - hence why she is so tired..
I will say, this is likely a 'me' thing but I didn't really "get" the ending. She is peeling the wallpaper and I was confused as to whether she was IN the wallpaper or not. Surely if she was simply walking around, peeling wallpaper, that wouldn't be enough to make her husband faint? And she 'creeps' around him, I'll be honest in this context I'm not sure what she means - unless she is IN the wall?
I suppose we don't know what 'really' happened. Imagining is scarier than knowing.
Something else I noticed was that her husband and housekeeper also seem entranced by the wallpaper - albeit not to the same extent as the protagonist. Maybe they heard the woman in the wallpaper too? Or they are also getting arsenic poisoning but not as much as the protagonist (one interpretation of the story, since 19th century wallpaper had arsenic in it!)
In conclusion, I thought this was a well crafted short story that is very unnerving. It is a quick read (only being 62 pages) that has left me thinking about it for quite a bit after reading it. I will say it is almost more interesting as a thought piece than as prose one reads (at least that's how I feel). Not something I think I'll be forgetting anytime soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting