The Untold Truths Of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper

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The Untold Truths of “The Yellow Wallpaper” “The Yellow Wallpaper”, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story written in first-person narration. She does not refer to herself by name, however she talks about the issues that she is going through while living in a bedroom with ugly, yellow wallpaper. The narrator is in an attic room that she does not want to be in, but her husband thinks it is good for her so she can rest. She recently had a baby but it is being taken care of by a nanny while she is up in the room. The narrator has nothing to do in the room but write secretly in her journal and stare at the wallpaper, which ultimately causes her to go insane. The narrator of the story is forced by her husband to stay in the unpleasant…show more content…
While she is in the depressing room, she has no contact with her child. The nanny, Mary is taking care of it. The narrator is happy that Mary is there to help out with the baby due to her mental illness; and even states, “It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby!” (4). The narrator discloses that it is actually a good thing that she is not caring for the baby. “I never thought of it before, but it is lucky that John kept me here after-all, I can stand it so much easier than a baby, you see.” (10). The reader starts to get a sense that the narrator cannot care for her baby, as her entire world revolves only around the room and the wallpaper that surrounds it. The narrator’s husband does not want her to do anything in the room, not even write in her journal. “There comes John, and I must put this away- he hates to have me write a word.” (4). Besides the secret writing, the only thing for her to do in the room is stare at the wallpaper. The more she stares into the nothingness of the room, the wallpaper changes from just being ugly to having patterns. “The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern just as if she wanted to get out.” (11). Eventually, the patterns change to a sub-pattern of a desperate crawling woman who she sees as a reflection of
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