The Yellow Wallpaper Mental Institution Analysis

517 Words3 Pages
I will attempt to analyze The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman, specifically wheather the dwelling was a stately home, or a mental institution.It is my contention that it is a mental institution. I base this conclusion on statements that are made throughout the story concerning the dwelling. When the author began her discription of the dwelling, it began to dawn on me that it sounded like a mental institution.ie; "The most beautiful place! It is quite alone, sanding well back from the road. Quite three miles from the village. It makes me think of English places that you read about. For there are hedges and walls and gates that lock". Mental institutions were usually in the country, with gates that lock. It sounds strange, that she was not allowed to pick which room she wanted to stay in, as stated on page 439, " I don't like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened onto the piazza and had roses…show more content…
This insinuates that she is not allowed to go downstairs. The following exert on page 440 struck me as rather strange ie; "I lie here on this great immovable bed--it is nailed down". Why else would a bed be nailed to the floor, except to keep an out of control person from hurting themselves. And then there is the boat, why would they travel by boat to leave? So we go back to an observation made by the author on page 439 ie; "Out of another I get a lovely view of the bay and a little private wharf belonging to the estate. There is a beautiful shaded lane that runs down there from the house. I always fancy I see people walking in these numerous paths and arbors, but John has cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the least". Could it be that the wharf is the route by which the patients arrive and leave, for the sake of

More about The Yellow Wallpaper Mental Institution Analysis

Open Document