preview

The Yellow Wallpaper Summary

Decent Essays

Charlotte Perkins Stetson’s 1892 short story The Yellow Wall-Paper is based around an unknown narrator’s descriptions of a woman briefly referred to as Jane (though questioned), and her life confined in her household. Her husband and physician John and the narrator’s sister-in-law Jennie spent time within the piece taking care of her unstable mental state. Published over one hundred years ago, the story questions how to react to mental instabilities, especially in relation to women. John treats his wife more as a patient, and less as a wife throughout the narration. He keeps her inside, rarely allowing her to see other people or their son. It is not clear what ‘Jane’ is suffering from, but John appears to annihilate whatever illness she has, …show more content…

To answer a rhetorical question, the narrator writes the entire story in secrecy, and reveals all true feelings, whether good or bad. “I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus -- but John says the very worst thing I can do is to think about my condition, and I confess it always makes me feel bad.”. This isolation is reflected in both the narrator’s writing, and her life. John does not often allow her to be visited, even by family. He treats the idea of company like a reward, something that would be received when her health is superior, “When I get really well, John says we will ask Cousin Henry and Julia down for a long visit ; but he says he would as soon put fireworks in my pillow-case as to let me have those stimulating people about now.”. With no timeframe in mind, the narrator lives in a constant state of wonder, with no outcome visible. John believes that her illness is frivolous, if even existent. It is incredibly plausible that John is embarrassed by his wife’s mental state, and aims to save himself from the exposure due to it. His skittish actions line up with the idea, and

Get Access