The Yellow Wallpaper Change Analysis
Change can be good
Most individuals don’t know Charlotte Perkins Gilman tells her story through “The Yellow Wallpaper”. According to The Literature Collection it stated “This tale combines standard elements of Gothic fiction (the isolated country minion, the brooding atmosphere of the room, the aloof but dominating husband) with the fresh clarity of Gilman’s feminist perspective”. Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses excitement to explore the narrator’s way to change such doing something she may not want to do. Gilman also expresses the use of being at rest because of the mental illness Jane has. Gilman uses excitement and rest and also irony to show people that change is good. Excitement is one device presented in this short story. One example
of excitement the character showing that it may be an exciting thing to change because one may not know until change happens. Gilman writes, “Personally, I believe that congenial work with excitement and change would do me good (Gilman 1). The husband thinks it would be a great chance for him and his wife because of the change. The wife writes in her journal to escape. This allows her imagination to run wild which means she is thinking in a way that is impossible. Another example of excitement is how Jane finally is comfortable about the wallpaper. The narrator says, “Life is very much exciting that it used to be (Gilman 11). This seems to be the progression that John is hoping for but she is strengthened by the wallpaper. It can also mean her life is a greater purpose than doing what John wants her to do which means just because John wants her to do something does mean she has to. There is also an example of rest. The narrator says, “He said we came here solely on my account that I was to have perfect rest and all the air I can get” (Gilman 2). John wanted to move so Jane could rest more. Being that John is a doctor Jane thinks it may be the right thing to do even though she doesn’t want to move. That’s one example of being at rest because John gets his way because he is a doctor. Another literary device Gilman uses is irony. The narrator says, “I am glad my case is not that serious” (Gilman 3). This quote marks and individual think mental illness. It is ironic that the narrator says that her case is not serious, when actually, this story shows the stages of mental nervous breakdown. When John is not around, she believes her case is not serious. In addition to that, when people are late from the things they care about they may face more mental distress. Another example of irony is where the narrator makes it seem like Jane is a child. The narrator says, ”Right across my path by the wall so that I had to creep over him every time!” (Gilman 16) Another example of irony is when Jane is talking about an immovable bed. The narrator says, “I lie here on this immovable bed it is nailed down (Gilman 6). When others think of this they may think crazy because who has a bed that is nailed down. When the narrator stated the bed was nailed down it’s crystal clear that she is in a sanitarium. By the bed being nailed down states how she is trapped in her own life by things such as society. In conclusion, the narrator enlightens her readers with a story like hers. I feel as if Gilman wrote this story to show the kind of diversity. I also feel like this story is for any woman of that time period or this time period should have a freedom of speech. The Yellow Wallpaper really shows an enormous difference exciting between males and females in this society. In closing the narrator expresses what some may go through or been through.
Most individuals don’t know Charlotte Perkins Gilman tells her story through “The Yellow Wallpaper”. According to The Literature Collection it stated “This tale combines standard elements of Gothic fiction (the isolated country minion, the brooding atmosphere of the room, the aloof but dominating husband) with the fresh clarity of Gilman’s feminist perspective”. Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses excitement to explore the narrator’s way to change such doing something she may not want to do. Gilman also expresses the use of being at rest because of the mental illness Jane has. Gilman uses excitement and rest and also irony to show people that change is good. Excitement is one device presented in this short story. One example
of excitement the character showing that it may be an exciting thing to change because one may not know until change happens. Gilman writes, “Personally, I believe that congenial work with excitement and change would do me good (Gilman 1). The husband thinks it would be a great chance for him and his wife because of the change. The wife writes in her journal to escape. This allows her imagination to run wild which means she is thinking in a way that is impossible. Another example of excitement is how Jane finally is comfortable about the wallpaper. The narrator says, “Life is very much exciting that it used to be (Gilman 11). This seems to be the progression that John is hoping for but she is strengthened by the wallpaper. It can also mean her life is a greater purpose than doing what John wants her to do which means just because John wants her to do something does mean she has to. There is also an example of rest. The narrator says, “He said we came here solely on my account that I was to have perfect rest and all the air I can get” (Gilman 2). John wanted to move so Jane could rest more. Being that John is a doctor Jane thinks it may be the right thing to do even though she doesn’t want to move. That’s one example of being at rest because John gets his way because he is a doctor. Another literary device Gilman uses is irony. The narrator says, “I am glad my case is not that serious” (Gilman 3). This quote marks and individual think mental illness. It is ironic that the narrator says that her case is not serious, when actually, this story shows the stages of mental nervous breakdown. When John is not around, she believes her case is not serious. In addition to that, when people are late from the things they care about they may face more mental distress. Another example of irony is where the narrator makes it seem like Jane is a child. The narrator says, ”Right across my path by the wall so that I had to creep over him every time!” (Gilman 16) Another example of irony is when Jane is talking about an immovable bed. The narrator says, “I lie here on this immovable bed it is nailed down (Gilman 6). When others think of this they may think crazy because who has a bed that is nailed down. When the narrator stated the bed was nailed down it’s crystal clear that she is in a sanitarium. By the bed being nailed down states how she is trapped in her own life by things such as society. In conclusion, the narrator enlightens her readers with a story like hers. I feel as if Gilman wrote this story to show the kind of diversity. I also feel like this story is for any woman of that time period or this time period should have a freedom of speech. The Yellow Wallpaper really shows an enormous difference exciting between males and females in this society. In closing the narrator expresses what some may go through or been through.