Summary
Today in class, we discussed the "Yellow Wall-Paper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Published in 1892, the story is about a woman who is 'sick' and quarantined to the attic of a house. Gilman slowly reveals the objects in the room such as the disgusting yellow wallpaper along with a gate by the stairs, barred windows, and the bed nailed to the floor. These descriptions begin to portray the room as an asylum or prison rather than a nursery. As the room begins to transform or reveal itself, the narrator also seems to gradually become more insane, completely losing her mind by the end of the narrative.
Throughout class we talked about a woman's role during this time period and how it is reflective of a woman's "domestic sphere;" a woman lived under the expectation that she would be the caretaker of the house. In this "emanation of womanhood," a woman essentially had the role of being seen and not heard. The woman would be a mother and wife—controlling the environment of the house and preserving its stability and safety. The woman in "The Yellow Wall-Paper" seemingly lives in accordance with this view as caretaker of the home when she says, of her husband John, "I must take care of myself for his sake, and keep well" (813). She continues doing things for him as well as giving the appearance of being childish. Not only calling the narrator, at one point, his blessed little goose, John also takes her in his arms one night, carries her off to bed, and then reads to her until she falls asleep (813).
The "Yellow Wall-Paper" emanates Realism because the story realistically depicts the inner-workings of a mind suffering from a nervous breakdown and documents the narrator's psychological torment. It discusses the realism of postpartum depression and the psychological state.
Word Count: 306
Passages
"So I take phosphates or phosphites...and am absolutely forbidden to 'work' until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do? I did write for a while in spite of them; but it does exhaust me a good deal-- having to be so sly about it or else meet with heavy opposition" (808-9).
This passage tells the reader that the narrator is becoming "drugged" by society's perception of womanhood. Furthermore, it also exemplifies her defiance against the viewpoints of women during the period as well as her disbelief of what her husband and his sister think she should do in order to get well. However, she is under the oppression of womanhood and is obligated to obey the rules set upon her by her husband and society. The reader begins to glimpse the exhaustion the narrator feels as this "drug" begins to take effect at the end of the passage when even her passion for writing tires her because she has to hide it.
"It was nursery first and then playroom and gymnasium, I should judge; for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls" (809).
The narrator tells the reader that she believes, or "should judge" (809), that the room used to be a nursery. However, the conditions the room is in based on her perceptions are contrary to what a nursery should be. This passage also highlights the childish portrayal of the narrator by placing her in a type of "nursery."
"I get unreasonably angry with John sometimes. I'm sure I never used to be so sensitive. I think it is due to this nervous condition. But John says if I feel so, I shall neglect proper self-control; so I take pains to control myself-- before him, at least, and that makes me very tired" (809).
This excerpt from the narrative is where the reader can a better sense of how she acts around her husband; she feels she must practice self control in front of him. Unfortunately for her, it makes matters worse because she is even more tired after doing so, falling more into the preconceived notion that a woman must endure the "rest cure" when going through hysteria.
Key Terms
hysteria: Derived from the root "hyster-" meaning uterus, this is a blanket term in order to describe any illness a woman may have.
"Emanation of Womanhood": This is a term referring to the work that women do in order to maintain the role of mother and wife that society has given to women