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A review by xwritingstoriesx
The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
4.25 stars. The Yellow Wallpaper follows a young woman struggling with a misdiagnosis of hysteria and the subsequent response to her treatment of the Rest Cure.
The book touches on the subjugation of women through the trivilisation and ignorance of issues which strictly affect women. The protagonist's subtle rejection of the domestic roles of marriage and womanhood allow the reader to understand the detrimental effects of such subduing oppression.
This is further established by the protagonist's attempts to conform to the expectations thrust upon her. She is prohibited from writing, an activity which allows self-expression and ties into her sense of personal identity, in order to placate her husband's concerns.
She is also stifled by the rest cure, a treatment plan which was disproportionately prescribed to women as a means to quell their female hysteria. The protagonist was discouraged from intellectual and physical stimulation which led to further deterioration of her mental condition. She was confined in every conceivable way.
The Yellow Wallpaper itself is a symbol of her own mental and physical imprisonment. Throughout her stay, her episodes of psychosis worsen and she wrongfully perceives shapes and figures within the wallpaper. This slowly evolves into the belief that a woman is trapped within the wallpaper and this figure is meant to represent herself.
The final scenes of the novella convey just how severe her psychosis has become and shows a complete integration between herself and her mental illness.
A crucial examination of female subjugation, domestication and vulnerability within the 19th century.
The book touches on the subjugation of women through the trivilisation and ignorance of issues which strictly affect women. The protagonist's subtle rejection of the domestic roles of marriage and womanhood allow the reader to understand the detrimental effects of such subduing oppression.
This is further established by the protagonist's attempts to conform to the expectations thrust upon her. She is prohibited from writing, an activity which allows self-expression and ties into her sense of personal identity, in order to placate her husband's concerns.
She is also stifled by the rest cure, a treatment plan which was disproportionately prescribed to women as a means to quell their female hysteria. The protagonist was discouraged from intellectual and physical stimulation which led to further deterioration of her mental condition. She was confined in every conceivable way.
The Yellow Wallpaper itself is a symbol of her own mental and physical imprisonment. Throughout her stay, her episodes of psychosis worsen and she wrongfully perceives shapes and figures within the wallpaper. This slowly evolves into the belief that a woman is trapped within the wallpaper and this figure is meant to represent herself.
The final scenes of the novella convey just how severe her psychosis has become and shows a complete integration between herself and her mental illness.
A crucial examination of female subjugation, domestication and vulnerability within the 19th century.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Mental illness