The Yellow Wallpaper and Women’s Discourse

The Yellow Wallpaper and Women's Discourse

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" explores the themes of mental health, gender roles, and societal oppression through the lens of women's discourse. The narrative follows an unnamed female protagonist who descends into madness while confined in a room, symbolizing the constraints placed on women in a patriarchal society. This analysis delves into the implications of the wallpaper as a metaphor for women's writing and the struggle for self-expression. It is essential reading for students of feminist literature and those studying the intersections of psychology and gender. The text provides a critical examination of the societal forces that contribute to women's mental health issues.

Key Points

  • Analyzes the symbolism of the yellow wallpaper as a representation of women's discourse.
  • Explores the protagonist's descent into madness as a critique of patriarchal oppression.
  • Discusses the role of male characters in reinforcing societal constraints on women.
  • Examines feminist interpretations of the narrative and its relevance to contemporary discussions on mental health.
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University of Tulsa
"The Yellow Wallpaper" and Women's Discourse
Author(s): Karen Ford
Source:
Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature,
Vol. 4, No. 2 (Autumn, 1985), pp. 309-314
Published by: University of Tulsa
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/463709
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NOTES AND QUERIES
"The Yellow Wallpaper" and Women's Discourse
Paula Treichler's essay "Escaping the Sentence: Diagnosis and Discourse
in The Yellow Wallpaper'" offers one of the first close and thorough readings
of a short story which has long been of interest to feminists but which is also
read and employed by psychologists, historians, sociologists, and literary
critics. Although the story has had many readers, remarkably little has been
written about it. Treichler's essay provides at once a close reading and a
challenging thesis around which discussion can begin. Each time I have
taught "The Yellow Wallpaper," students insist that it describes the progres?
sion of one person's neurosis, for instance that it is the tale of one woman's
mental breakdown caused specifically by postpartum depression. Yet, many
details, like the narrator's lack of a name, argue against her individuality, and
similarly, the primer-like names of the husband and sister-in-law?John and
Mary?suggest they are merely representatives for Husbands and In-laws. In
fact, the most individual name in the story?Weir Mitchell?points away
from the narrator and toward the effects of his very specific treatment on
people like her. Moreover, as Treichler has shown, "a feminist reading
emphasizes the social and economic conditions which drive the narrator?
and potentially all women?to madness" (64). In addition to liberating "The
Yellow Wallpaper" from overly idiosyncratic readings, Treichler's essay raises
two important issues for readers of Gilman's story and for feminist critics in
particular; first, through her discussion of diagnosis, she works toward a
definition of "patriarchal discourse"; and, second, through her close reading
of the story, she problematizes the image of the wallpaper, thereby calling
into question the notion of women's discourse.
There can be no doubt that the narrator dwells in the middle of Pa?
triarchy. She is living in "ancestral halls" (9), has just given birth to a boy, is
surrounded by men?her husband, her brother, and somewhere in the
background, Weir Mitchell?and even the female or females in the house
appear to be cardboard figures cut out by the patriarchy?first Mary, the
virgin mother who "is so good with the baby" (14) and later Jennie (a word
which means a female donkey or beast of burden) who "is a perfect and
enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession" (17-18).
Whatever language emerges from this setting can safely be considered
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"male." Further, John is identified in relation to the patriarchy first and in
relation to his wife only afterwards: he is "a physician of high standing and
one's own husband" (10). In "The Yellow Wallpaper" the physician is the
quintessential man, and his talk, therefore, is the epitome of male discourse.
Thus Treichler's definitions of the physician's talk?of diagnosis?clarify the
nature of this discourse. It is "powerful and public; representing institutional
authority, it dictates... it privileges the rational, the practical, and the
observable" (65), and even more important, it "translate^] the realities of the
human body into human language and back again. As such, it is a perfect
example of language which 'reflects' reality and simultaneously 'produces'
it" (69).
As recent discussions of women's language and women's relation to
language have shown, "women's discourse" is difficult, and perhaps even
impossible, to define. Treichler's analysis of the wallpaper at first acknowl?
edges this by summarizing a variety of interpretations of the meaning of the
paper. However, when Treichler offers an alternative reading of the image,
she reduces the plurality, fixing the significance of the wallpaper too rigidly.
She says:
While these interpretations are plausible and fruitful, I interpret the wallpaper to be
women's writing or women's discourse, and the women in the wallpaper to be the
representation of women that becomes possible only after women obtain their right to
speak. In this reading, the yellow wallpaper stands for a new vision of women?one
which is constructed differently from the representation of women in patriarchal
language. (64)
Although I resist the apparent determinacy of this interpretation, consid?
ering the wallpaper as discourse clearly generates important results.
Treichler is able to uncover a line of female kinship that challenges the male
ancestry. Also, the narrator's crucial shift in tone to impertinence is fore?
grounded as Treichler establishes the causal link between the wallpaper and
the narrator's revolt. And even within this reading, Treichler recognizes that
"the story only hints at possibilities for change" (74), that "as a metaphor, the
yellow wallpaper is never fully resolved... its meaning cannot be fixed" (75).
Nevertheless, her analysis raises several questions. First, if the wallpaper
stands for a new vision of women, why is the narrator tearing it down? Next,
how can it be a "representation of women that becomes possible only after
women obtain their right to speak," if it grows more vivid as the narrator
becomes less verbal? Moreover, if the narrator comes into her own through
the wallpaper, then why does she become more and more a victim of male
diagnosis as she becomes further engaged with the wallpaper?that is,
although she does free the woman inside the paper, she is tied up, locked in a
room, creeping on all fours like the child John has accused her of being, and
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FAQs of The Yellow Wallpaper and Women’s Discourse

What themes are explored in The Yellow Wallpaper?
The Yellow Wallpaper delves into themes of mental illness, gender roles, and the effects of societal oppression on women's lives. The protagonist's confinement reflects the broader societal constraints placed on women during the late 19th century. As she becomes increasingly obsessed with the wallpaper, it symbolizes her struggle for identity and self-expression in a patriarchal world. The story serves as a powerful critique of the medical and social practices that dismiss women's voices and experiences.
How does the protagonist's relationship with her husband affect her mental state?
The protagonist's relationship with her husband, John, is central to her mental decline. John, a physician, embodies the patriarchal authority that dismisses her feelings and autonomy. His condescending treatment and insistence on isolation exacerbate her condition, leading her to internalize her struggles. This dynamic highlights the detrimental effects of male dominance on women's mental health and the importance of recognizing and validating women's experiences.
What role does the wallpaper play in the protagonist's journey?
The wallpaper serves as a complex symbol throughout the narrative, representing both the protagonist's confinement and her burgeoning awareness of her oppression. As she becomes increasingly fixated on the wallpaper, it reflects her inner turmoil and desire for freedom. The act of tearing down the wallpaper at the story's climax signifies her rebellion against societal constraints, even as it leads her further into madness. This duality emphasizes the struggle for self-identity and the challenges women face in asserting their voices.
What is the significance of the ending of The Yellow Wallpaper?
The ending of The Yellow Wallpaper is both shocking and revealing, as the protagonist finally breaks free from the constraints of her confinement by tearing down the wallpaper. This act symbolizes her rejection of the patriarchal forces that have oppressed her. However, it also raises questions about the cost of such liberation, as her mental state deteriorates further. The conclusion invites readers to reflect on the complexities of women's struggles for autonomy and the societal structures that contribute to their suffering.

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