Reviews - The Yellow Wallpaper

15k reviews for:

The Yellow Wallpaper

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

4.05 AVERAGE

tylerl473's review against another edition

3.0

emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

shahirsaleheen's review against another edition

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

carucath97's review against another edition

4.0

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!

Content Warnings