Essay Example on The Yellow Wallpaper: A Journey of Mental Freedom

Introduction

The story, Yellow Wall Paper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is a novel that is written in the mode of a sequence of entries. The approach was started by the narrator of the novel. In which, the narrator uses a series of journals to illustrate the story of her three months stays in the room. In the series of the story, the first chapter explains how the narrator and her husband, John, moved to the region. According to the story, John is an extremely practical man. Due to this concept, the family move in the region is influenced by the will to expose the ill wife to an environment that is characterized by clean air. The environment would also assist in the provision of a calm life for the wife to assist in her recovery. The husband treated the narrator as a child.

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The narrator thinks that there is something odd and scaring about the room. When she asked the husband about the issues, he dismisses the issues. As part of her recovery, she is prevented from engaging in activities others apart from house duties. This gives a chance that he cannot disturb her mind. However, the narrator misses the critical act of wringing and talking. As a way of showing his dissatisfaction, she writes all issues in her hidden diary.

Later on, the family moves to the top room of the apartment to give a chance to recover. In the new room, there are barred windows and peeling yellow wallpaper. The wallpaper becomes a crucial force in the novel. This mostly occurs after the narrator becomes infatuated with interpreting something which appears to be incomprehensible and illogical. As the days go, the narrator becomes persuaded that the wallpaper contains a malicious force that endangers the entire home. From her room, the narrator can view several structures such as shaded lane, the bay, and much more. As she is staying in the room, she encounters various attention. However, when she tries to overcome the attention of her husband and Jennie, sister, she automatically switches and starts to analyze the wallpaper. Due to the study, she starts to imagine she can view a mysterious structure, which is hiding behind the upper pattern. Nevertheless, she tries to convince John they should leave home. John insists that the narrator is improving and sees pampering her concerns as a heartening threat.

The narrator is stressed, and the condition continues to worsen. Her captivation with the structure takes control over her life. In a sequence of increasing short diary entries, the narrator illustrates her improvement in sharing the secrets of the pattern in the wallpaper. The narrator believes that the structure is a creeping lady who is trapped behind the bar. As such, the narrator becomes so passionate about her to free her, but to keep the secret away from John and Jennie. She suspects that her sister is inspecting a scratched groove on the wall. However, the narrator does not believe that Jennie is not looking at the wall stain in the window. As such, she decides to keep the secret even away from her diary. Instead, she ought to attempt to remove the wallpaper on the day before their departure. After all, have been removed, she tries to remove tear the wallpaper. The essay reviews how the author uses the theme of madness and modernity.

Madness

Context of Gender Inequality and Traditional Roles

Madness is the state in which a person acts contrary to social requirements. As such, the issue illustrates the violation of social norms and values. The setting of the book took place in the 19th century, where people were living in a male-dominated community. As such, ladies were not given the authority to control anything, even their life. The narrator has illustrated various concepts of madness in the novel by are mostly facilitated by society and husband. In the novel, the narrator tries to illustrate how she descends into madness as she tries to escape from the male-dominated society. As such, she loses her trust in male, John, forcing her to study a pattern in the wallpaper. Her study illustrates a trapped woman who has no power to express her willingness. The narrator explains how she is confined to men's rules. Additionally, Perkins illustrates a deteriorating cognitive state of a female narrator. The progressive of insanity mostly occurs, especially when she changes her attitude toward various social aspects.

At the beginning of the novel, the narrator's interaction with her husband is so close. However, she does not agree with John's belief that the general rest is the best aspect of the recovery operation. The narrator feels that she needs to engage in friendly work, which will make her happy. Additionally, the narrator does not trust John regarding his resting argument. The narrator says, "I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day: he takes all care from me, and so I feel basely ungrateful not to value it more." The statement indicates the conflicting emotion which occurs due to various complicated ideas subjected to the narrator. As a result, the narrator suffers from stress as she tries to analyze, which is the best way to follow to solve the existing issues. The narrator wishes she could draft in her notepad about the ongoing conditions. The aspect would assist in relieving stress as the mind would reload some life aspects. Despite drafting in the diary, the narrator is forced to hide it from her husband since she knew that John would not agree. Additionally, the narrator keeps the concept secret since she does not want John to understand that she is not doing as they agreed. After writing, the narrator changes her attitude toward John. For instance, the narrator pretends that she is asleep to hide John from understanding the truth. The fear she has over John causes paranoia. Paranoia is a mental illness whereby a person develops an unrealistic distrust of other individuals. In this case, the narrator no longer sees John's behaviors as rational. She says that John acts "queer." She starts to think that John is affected by yellow wallpaper. This perception agitates her since she does not want anyone to realize the hidden secret.

Throughout the novel, the narrator has an intimate connection with the yellow paper. She views the yellow wallpaper as his constant companion. However, her early reaction to the figure is disgust since she does not like the color and the pattern. After a short period, the narrator starts to project a sort of personality toward the wallpaper. As a result, she blames the wallpaper for reducing the rate of recovering. She says, "... it looks to me as if it knew what a vicious influence it had!" As a result, she starts an investigation to learn about the pattern more closely. During the investigation, she learns about a strange provoking, and shapeless figure which is behind the wallpaper. At this level, her madness is ambiguous, but become more distinct because the structure behind the wallpaper has no solid shape. Later on, the wallpaper no longer uprising her since it appears like a fascination figure. She is so much frustrated when she tries to follow the lines in the figure, especially when her loss track due to complications. After a long study, she realizes there was something, but they vow to keep it as her secret. The personality keeps her awake at night as she is passionate about studying the image.

The Trapped Woman as a Symbol of Imprisonment

At the end of the novel, the figure behind the pattern solidifies and symbolically becomes her madness. The narrator's assertion that there is a lady who is trapped in the patter of the wallpaper is an overturned illustration of her wish for freedom. The trapped woman and narrator are constrained in the same line. In this case, the trapped woman is the line of the pattern, while the narrator is the principles of society. However, both women are not in control to break the system and seek their freedom. The lady in the pattern starts as shapeless object lurking in wallpaper and hardens as the narrator becomes more silent due to strict approaches which are set by the husband. As time goes, she ought to assist the lady in acquiring freedom. As they are departing from the room, she tears the wallpaper to assist the woman in seeking her freedom. However, she escapes her imprisonment by getting out of the confined walls by returning to her old life with her John.

The narrator's husband acts as her core doctor. Hence, he is a figure of a traditional attitude toward cognitive illness. John is driven purely by realities and directing self-control. Additionally, he is mandated to warn ladies against anything concept he views as a threat. He rejects to acknowledge the narrator regarding her mental condition as genuine. As such, John does not give the narrator a chance to express her inner state. The narrator ought to struggle with her inner suffering. The narrator illustrates various mental treatment which was deployed in the 19th century. The post-partum depression that had affected the lady was mostly triggered by a mental breakdown that occurred due to excess idleness. The treatment approaches which are set by the narrator's husband triggers her madness instead of providing a cure. The environment that she is set to negatively impact her healing ability since she does not get the right condition to express her wish.

Modernity

Transition from Traditional to Modern Society

According to Payne, modernity is the state of social existence that is expressively different from all past techniques of human experience. In this case, the concept focuses on the transformation from traditional to modern society. At first, the book was based on the 19th century when gender inequality was a common aspect of society. In which, certain groups are perceived as minority, women, and children, and hence, they do not have the power to express their wishes. In the novel, the Yellow Wallpaper, the author illustrates how traditionally women were denied the right to express their rights. Despite women trying to show their desire for freedom, they are trapped in a manner of social requirements.

The Wallpaper as a Symbol of Traditional Values

In the novel, wallpaper symbolizes the gap that exists between traditional and modern life. The trapped women represent traditional values and norms which restrict females from engaging in various social and economic activities. In modern life, men and women are given an equal chance to express and engage in various activities. The narrator is trying to tear the wallpaper to assist women in acquiring freedom according to modern life. This concept helps open a new chapter of modern life to the narrator. "He said that after the wallpaper was changed, it would be the heavy bedstead, and then the barred windows, and then that gate at the head of the stairs, and so on."

Marriage as a Barrier to Modernity

Marriage is another crucial to modernity. Engaging in marriage creates a barrier that hinders a woman from engaging in creativity and social freedom. Traditionally, women are expected to follow and abide by all men's rules. As such, John directs all activities that the narrator is expected to do. In this case, the husband believes that all aspects that he directs are right for the narrator. However, the narrator has embraced modernity by setting her own strategies by indicating all she needs in the notebook. She tries hard to study the pattern to assist in leaving the traditional life. According to Perkins, the narrator has already realized how toxic her marriage is, and thus, she believes that her husband is always not right. However, John does not appreciate the narrator's argument since he thinks it is not genuine. Additionally, the narrator develops a negative attitude toward institutions. This concept after the narrator does not trust the health practitioner's idea on her health and way to heal. In modernity, controlling marriage by setting strict rules do not work. This is a critical aspect that ruins how the family stays. However, both husband and wife are required to play a crucial part...