Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Yellow Wallpaper

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is a grievous story about an insane woman imprisoned by her husband. The story begins by illustrating the woman was on vacation with her husband, John, in a lavish home. Throughout the story, John seems to be very controlling and harsh toward the woman. I think it is obsurd how he locked the woman into a room for days, despite her efforts to get out; no matter what the doctor says. Writing is the activity that fuels this woman's being, she feels as if she is set free and becomes relaxed when she writes, and she is forced to sneak and do this because of her overprotective husband. I think her inability to write is what drove her more insane, she was then forced to stare at walls and partake in know acticity whatsoever. 'The Yellow Wallpaper' in her room becomes vaguely important, she describes it so vividly, not missing a single detail. In the end, John breaks into the room where his wife is imprisoned, and finds that she has gone madly insane and he quickly faints. I believe it is John's fault, and that asll he did was make his wife's mental condition even worse, by locking her up in a room by herself.

1 comment:

  1. The story is interesting in that the best medical knowledge of the day said that the 'total rest' cure was what the lady needed. John follows that prescription. She is not locked in the room physically. The walls are mental -- maintained in part by this woman's idea that the husband knows more than she does about her condition. That aspect is one of the most frightening ideas in the story. She is being killed by love -- a truly horrible way to go.

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