The Literature of Protest: The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Introduction

Charlotte Perkins Stetson published a short story named "The Yellow Wallpaper" which is both a feminist masterpiece and a haunting psychological story. Stetson, an activist of women rights, writer, mother, and wife, lived in a time that she believed women were placed in a position which that disadvantaged them against existing ahead of their home's sphere, thus effectively hampering any form of creative or intellectual growth. Therefore, marriage appeared to be a sticky situation and Stetson believed that family life could never satisfy every person in the family making change was inevitable. Since, women required the opportunity to grow, to work and to make relationships outside their home. Thus, there is a need to detail on how the setting, plot, conflict, and point-of-view work together to create the meaning of "The Yellow Wallpaper" as well as a precise discussion of author's protest against the place of women in the society, and mental illness public perception.

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Elements

Setting

In the late nineteenth century was when "The Yellow Wallpaper" was written, this anchors the story in a particular historical moment in contexts of women and their distinct lack of abilities. Apart from the wallpaper madness towards the end, Stetson's story might have been somewhat typical at the publication time. The story's setting reinforces the entire intangible attitudes and feelings expressed in "The Yellow Wallpaper." For instance, the fancy house stood was far away from the road and had many little separated houses and many locks; thus this was a super-isolated place (Stetson 648). Since it was split from the road making it separated from the society, and it was described as a place which restricts and binds. Therefore, her emotions reflect the physical set-up of the house that was isolated and limited. In line with the theme of restriction and isolation, the narrator could see outside the room but could not participate in things happening outside. Also, the other connection that existed between the storyteller and her physical surroundings is that John treated his wife more like a baby than an adult and it turns out that the bedroom of the narrator was a nursery (Stetson 649).

Plot Analysis

The initial situation of the story began with Stetson feeling anxious on the state the narrator and her husband had rented for the summer. There is a sense of the starting of a horror story where a woman entered the spooky house, and the women had severe misgivings. The husband made all the decisions for his wife, informing her when she was sick as well as what she was suffering from hence establishing the follow of the story. The conflict began when she wished to use her time socializing and writing, though her husband insisted that she must rest, thus overruling her opinion on every count. Although, it is a one side conflict since John never took her seriously resulting in her repression. The narrator is forced to rest and be in bed all day, and she became entirely deep in thought by the wallpaper and attempted to interpret its design. It resulted in the complication of the story because the vibrant mind of the narrator dealt with the repression by centering on her environment. The narrator action of stripping off the wallpaper within her room establishes the ultimate rebellion moment where the protagonist took action towards freedom and finally distressing the status quo as well as declaring her agency sense, thus forming the climactic moment. When John came home and found out that his bedroom door is locked, he freaks out and attempts finding out what she was up to, and the narrator's fate uncertainty results to conclude that it was a moment of suspense (Stetson). Therefore, John reacted in a denouement manner to the craziness of his wife by fainting. The story concluded that the narrator having attained liberation, at last, she continued to strip off all the wallpaper.

Point of View

The author use of the first person to express the story permits the readers to have ridden into cultivates and madness a specific sympathy amount for Stetson and her plight. For instance; "I used to feel that if any of the other things looked too fierce, I could always hop into that chair and be safe"( Stetson 650). The consistent application of "I" puts the readers right in her head and permits them to empathize with the narrator.

How the Elements Work Together

The short story was written in a historical context had something to do with the way it survives as a political and social commentary. Therefore, it was written when women were disadvantaged on freedoms and rights that they possess now; hence the author developed the narrative as a response to this situation. She managed this through the aid of a well-developed plot which accurately illustrates how women opinion turns to be overruled by men especially when the narrator wanted to write and socialize her husband made her rest and lie in bed all day. During, the conclusion of the story the protagonist achieved the rights and freedom, thus portraying the mean meaning which was intended to be communicated that one should keep fighting until you achieve your goal. Also, the use of the first person to write it ensured that the readers empathized with the narrator and move along with the author to get the full meaning of the story.

Author's Protest

The Women Place in the Society and Mental illness Perception

The author is mainly protesting of how women have been disadvantages within the society especially on their rights and freedom, and she thinks that the practice should be changed. For instance; Stetson thought to write and socialize as a way of keeping herself busy, but her husband does not take her serious hence overruling the decision and making the narrator rest and remain in bed all day. John act of being the respected physician denied the narrator the ability to question his authority and even dismissed the narrator's feeling and claim that there is something strange with the house. Therefore, portraying women to be inferior in the society and this is what the author is protesting against and wants this practice to change for women to have the ability to make their decision as well as posses their rights and freedom (Stetson). Also, the author protest against the perception people has about mental illness to the extent that the narrator's husband faints when he saw how his wife situation had worsened, and she wants this belief to change.

Conclusion

From the discussion, the short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Stetson is an interesting and educative piece of work especially on how it encounters feminist making it a feminist masterpiece as well as a psychological story. It was written in a historical context to bring out clearly how women were short of rights and freedom in the society at that time, and a first-person narration is used to make the reader empathize with her. Also, it has a well-developed plot flow that systematically outlines the meaning of this story that no change can be achieved without anything being done. The different elements that are the setting, the plot and point of view work together to create the meaning of "The Yellow Wallpaper." Also, it is vividly clear that the narrator is protesting against the practice in the society where men make the decision for the women as well as the perception the people have about mental illness and wants change in these practices. She admired to see a time when women will enjoy their rights and freedom as well as make their own decision and also those with mental illness to be viewed just like other rational human beings.

Work Cited

Stetson, Charlotte Perkins. The Yellow Wallpaper. n.d.