The Yellow Wall Paper/ Book review


Book review

Title: The Yellow wallpaper
Author: Charlotte Perkins Gilman 
Genre: Fiction/Novella

The yellow wallpaper is an intense portrayal of post partum depression and an overbearing husband. 

We have our protagonist- an unnamed narrator who tells the stories through a series of journal entries. She and her husband John have rented a summer mansion. Incidentally she is confined to a nursery room that has yellow wall paper. During the course of this story, we understand the treatment meted out to the woman. She feels stifled and claustrophobic. Over time she begins to imagine seeing a woman hidden between the wall power. 

Written in first person, the story makes use of an unreliable narrator. One of the strongest points in the story is the setting. The author manages to capture the smells and nuances of this little room. Some of the descriptions are a metaphorical representation of how women were treated in those days. We learn they were barred from writing or developing their own individuality. 

The story also explores the narrator’s state of mind that is almost descending towards a mental breakdown. While the story may appear confined to a specific place, it tends to mirror a large part of the society and also inspired by from the author’s personal life. The intent of this story is to portray oppressive nature of patriarchy that is still sadly prevalent today. 

Like James Joyce’s The Dead, it can argued if The yellow wallpaper is a short story or a novella. It’s atmospheric, concise and packs a lot of themes and emotions.

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