Women In The Yellow Wallpaper

Even into modern day, equal treatment of women remains an issue in a former patriarchal society. Men are known for bad tendencies of controlling everything in their domain, including the lives of those they love. In the short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the treatment of the narrator by her husband invokes the idea of the subordination of women and how they were kept from their prime. From the onset of the story, the narrator, Jane, secretly writes down early clues that describe the nature of subordination at the hands of her own husband. In the beginning, Jane moves with her husband, John, into a summer estate so that he may impose the dreaded “resting treatment” upon her. The reason behind this is a diagnosis
A statement against her treatment is seen when she argues, “Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do?” (648). While Jane does oppose the treatment she’s under, the question exposes that she must conform to the decision made by both her husband and brother. Surface level, it can be seen that she is in disagreement, however, with closer inspection, inferences can be made. The way that Jane is unwilling to resist this provides a hint that this could be the status quo for her. Furthermore, this conformity is put into greater context when Jane says John, “is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction.” (648). This background information fleshes out the relationship between Jane and John by making it seem as though it is natural for him to dominate her
Even though Jane detests the wallpaper, John, “laughs at [her] so about this wallpaper”, even after, “he meant to repaper the room”, but ultimately decides that it would impede her recovery to get rid of it (649). This exchange reads as seemingly usual to a reader, although prior to this Jane reveals that, “John does not know how much I really suffer”, which indicates that her treatment is handled poorly as John exercises his will over her (649). Nevertheless, John cogitates that he is helping his wife to the best of his ability which encompasses the story’s main irony. As John tries to force his wife to get better by forcing his treatment upon her, Jane’s mental state slowly deteriorates as a result. He even goes as far as to deny the narrator any companionship by refusing to let, “Cousin Henry and Julia”, visit, and instead states that, “he would as soon put fireworks in [her] pillow-case as to let [her] have those stimulating people about now” (649). A reader could view this as playful banter, but the deeper meaning of the line is more controlling in nature. Rather than rebelling against her husband, again Jane is made to be submissive to John’s suggestions despite her wishes to see them. Though interestingly enough, this denial of company actually drives her to become increasingly obsessed with the wallpaper. After Jane