The Lack of Creativity in the Yellow Wallpaper - 1199 Words

Lack of Creativity and Isolation in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† In â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† Charlotte Perkins Gilman presents an unnamed woman who gradually spirals into a state of mental psychosis. Gilman sought to bring attention to the unfair treatment of women in the nineteenth century. She uses this story to reveal to the audience that the narrator’s insanity stems from her isolation from society, and her inability to be expressive and creative through writing. Throughout â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† the narrator is locked away in an isolated room, which was supposed to cure her mental disorder but instead it makes her worse. With the windows barred and the doors locked she is secluded from society. She wishes to go visit her cousin Henry and†¦show more content†¦The â€Å"work† that she is referencing here is her writing, and she disagrees with her husband and brother’s idea that she should not be writing. Instead, she believes that if she is permitted to work, or write, her condition would im prove. Her opinions are not taken into consideration, thus she is obligated to write in secret. The first evidence that indicates that the narrator was driven to insanity due to lack of expression is when the narrator writes that â€Å"[she] did write for a while in spite of them; but it does exhaust [her] a good deal – having to be so sly about it† (Gilman 86). The narrator is intending to say that it is the hiding that is exhausting, not the writing itself. The narrator experiences considerable obstacles every time she attempts to express herself through writing. Every time she writes in her journal she has to stop herself when her husband arrives because, â€Å"he hates to have [her] write a word† (Gilman 87). The narrator even has to shield herself from her sister-in-law Jennie, â€Å"There comes John’s sister. Such a dear girl as she is, and so careful of me! I must not let her find me writing† (Gilman 89). Jennie is in the house to look afte r her when her husband is gone, and she worries that if Jennie catches her writing she willShow MoreRelatedConflicts of the Narrator- the Yellow Wallpaper1482 Words   |  6 PagesConflicts of the Narrator In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† the narrator must deal with several different conflicts. She is diagnosed with â€Å"temporary nervous depression and a slight hysterical tendency† (Gilman 221). Most of her conflicts, such as, differentiating from creativity and reality, her sense of entrapment by her husband, and not fitting in with the stereotypical role of women in her time, are centered around her mental illness and she has to deal with them. The mostRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper Essay : Importance Of Identity And Self Expression1707 Words   |  7 PagesThe Importance of Identity and Self Expression in The Yellow Wallpaper In the article â€Å"‘Too Terribly Good to Be Printed’: Charlotte Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’† Conrad Shumaker explains the genius of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† and how its themes reflect the patriarchal society of the time period. Shumaker identifies one theme as the detriment of suppressing the narrator’s sense of self and that â€Å"by trying to ignore and repress her imagination, in short, John eventually brings about the very circumstanceRead MoreThe Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman1206 Words   |  5 PagesCharlotte Perkins Gilman wrote, â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† in 1892. She brings to light a typical agenda for a female in a patriarchal society. It presents the relationship between men and women. Women were only considered for marriage and motherhood. Men were suited to pursue education and have a career. Women’s roles in society robbed them of expression. This left no one happy. Women wa nted the same opportunities. Gilman wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† to prove to readers that women have rights. WomenRead More The Struggle for Freedom in Yellow Wallpaper and Story of an Hour1106 Words   |  5 PagesStruggle for Freedom in The Yellow Wallpaper and The Story of an Hour    The Yellow Wallpaper and The Story of an Hour are two very similar stories. Both deal with middle-aged women who long to attain their freedom. They share the same theme, but convey the message differently in terms of style and quality. The two stories are about women who are fighting for freedom, happiness, and the ability to be truly expressive in any way possible. The greatest similarity is between the femaleRead MoreAnalysis Of The Yellow Wallpaper1727 Words   |  7 Pages Analysis of the Short Story The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Originally published in January 1892 issue of New England Magazine. Charlotte Perkins Gilman s short story The Yellow Wallpaper was personal to her own struggles with anxiety and depression after the birth of her daughter with her first husband and S. Weir Mitchell s resting cure treatment she received. The Yellow Wallpaper describes, from the patients point of view, the fall into madness of a woman who is creativelyRead MoreThe Women Behind The Yellow Wallpaper1675 Words   |  7 PagesBehind the Yellow Wallpaper â€Å" Be plain in dress, and sober in diet; In short, my deary, kiss me, and be quiet.† -Mary Wortley Montagu In a male dominated society, women had little choice when it came to the path of life they would trek upon until death. From the first words of the doctor when they announce, â€Å"it’s a girl†, amidst cries of the baby and the relief of the mother, the path a woman shall take has already been predetermined. Chalotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a harrowingRead MorePsychological State of Madness1088 Words   |  4 Pagesbehavioral problems that require intervention. It is the spectrum of behavior characterized by mental or behavioral patterns deemed abnormal by societal norms, manifesting as violations of acceptable actions, roles, and beliefs of society. The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman centers on the deteriorating mental condition of the female narrator. Gilman demonstrates the progression of her madness through the restriction of her self-expression. As a woman in the 19th century, the narratorRead MoreThe Yellow W allpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman Essay1555 Words   |  7 PagesCharlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story first published in 1892 that depicts a woman’s struggles against a heavily patriarchal society while dealing with post-partum depression. A feminist text generally points out deficiencies in society in regards to gender equality. This is seen throughout the story which makes it possible analyze the text with the use of feminist theory. The oppression that women endured during the 19th century is seen in this story through the actionsRead MorePatriarchy, The Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Perkins Gilm Patriarchy And The Treatment Of Women1538 Words   |  7 PagesProtogyrou ERH 206WX MAJ Knepper 27 Mar 2015 Patriarchy in â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† by Charlotte Perkins Gilman illustrates the patriarchy and the treatment of women in society during the nineteenth century. This is evident through two parts. First, one sees the treatment of women directly through the narrator’s interaction with her doctor and husband, John. Finally, it is clear through the symbolic wallpaper as well as other physical characteristics of the room that’s sheRead MoreMy Deary, Kiss Me, And Be Quiet1670 Words   |  7 Pageswould trek upon until death. From the first words of the doctor when they announce, â€Å"it’s a girl†, amidst cries of the baby and the relief of the mother, the path a woman shall take has already been predetermined. Chalotte Perkins Gilman’s â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a harrowing short story about a woman diagnosed with post-partum depression and her gradual slip into insanity when she is prescribed the rest-cure, a discredited treatment that only allows two hours of productivity each day. Gilman, the