Theme Of Insanity In The Yellow Wallpaper

As Thomas More once said, “It is only through mystery and madness that the soul is revealed.” Charlotte Stetson understood this when writing “The Yellow Wallpaper,” but the main question she had probably was: “How do I convey to the reader my character's insanity?” There are many definitions of insanity. However, what makes “The Yellow Wallpaper” appealing to the reader is its ability to create the experience of it. At first glance, the story expresses the protagonist's insanity through the seemingly incoherent plot. Yet when taking a closer look, Stetson uses literary devices, such as setting and metaphors, to evoke emotion in the reader. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Charlotte Stetson sets an unsettling definition of character for the protagonist through literary devices like setting and metaphors.

The setting of the room
In the beginning, the protagonist sees the pattern as a woman trapped in the wallpaper and trying to escape, “The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern, just as if she wanted to get out,” (652). This metaphor symbolizes the protagonist’s mind beginning to realize that the room may not be the best environment for her. During the middle of the story, the protagonist claims that she sees the woman in the wallpaper creeping, “I see her in those dark grape ' arbors, creeping all around the garden,” (654). This description increases the feeling of unease and concern. As the story continues, the protagonist realizes that she is the woman in the wallpaper, “I kept on creeping just the same” (656). By the end of the story, the protagonist finds herself trapped inside the pattern of the wallpaper, symbolizing her captivity in the room. This yellow wallpaper metaphor occurs several times throughout the story and helps the reader follow the protagonist’s experience of developing