The Yellow Wallpaper And Women's Discourse

Contents
Issue Table of Contents
- Tulsa Studies in Women's Literature, Vol. 4, No. 2 (Autumn, 1985) pp. 185-339
  - Front Matter [pp. 185-188]
  - From the Editor's Perspective: "Between Women: Women Critics on Women Writers" [pp. 189-198]
  - A Patriarch of One's Own: Jane Eyre and Romantic Love [pp. 199-216]
  - The Madonna and the Child Wife in Romola [pp. 217-233]
  - "The Muddle of the Middle": May Sinclair on Women [pp. 235-251]
  - "Untying the Mother Tongue": Female Difference in Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own [pp. 253-264]
  - Review Essays
    - Reading Gertrude Stein [pp. 265-271]
    - Must Horses Drink. Or "Any Language Is Funny If You Don't Understand It" [pp. 272-280]
    - Virginia Woolf's Politics and Her Mystical Vision [pp. 281-290]
  - Reviews
    - Review: untitled [pp. 291-293]
    - Review: untitled [pp. 293-295]
    - Review: untitled [pp. 295-302]
    - Review: untitled [pp. 302-303]
    - Review: untitled [pp. 303-305]
    - Review: untitled [pp. 305-308]
  - Notes
    - "The Yellow Wallpaper" and Women's Discourse [pp. 309-314]
    - Alternative Women's Discourse [pp. 315-322]
    - The Wall Behind the Yellow Wallpaper: Response to Carol Neely and Karen Ford [pp. 323-330]
  - Books Received [pp. 333-335]
  - Back Matter [pp. 331-339]

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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192

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FAQs of The Yellow Wallpaper and Women’s Discourse

What are the main themes explored in The Yellow Wallpaper?

The main themes in "The Yellow Wallpaper" include mental health, the oppression of women, and the critique of societal norms. The story follows a woman's descent into madness, reflecting the impact of confinement and lack of autonomy on her psyche. It highlights the struggles women faced in the 19th century, particularly regarding their mental health and the dismissive attitudes of male figures. The wallpaper itself serves as a powerful symbol of the narrator's entrapment and the broader societal constraints imposed on women.

How does the character of John represent patriarchal discourse?

John, the narrator's husband, embodies patriarchal authority and control throughout the story. As a physician, he dismisses his wife's feelings and opinions, believing he knows what is best for her mental health. His condescending attitude and insistence on isolation reflect the broader societal norms that undermine women's voices. This dynamic illustrates the power imbalance in their relationship and serves as a critique of the medical practices of the time, which often disregarded women's experiences.

What does the wallpaper symbolize in the story?

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the wallpaper symbolizes the constraints placed on women and their repressed identities. As the narrator becomes increasingly obsessed with the wallpaper, it represents her struggle to break free from societal expectations and the limitations imposed by her husband. The patterns in the wallpaper reflect her chaotic mental state and desire for liberation. Ultimately, tearing down the wallpaper signifies her attempt to reclaim her voice and identity, highlighting the theme of female empowerment.

How does the analysis connect to contemporary discussions of women's discourse?

The analysis of "The Yellow Wallpaper" connects to contemporary discussions of women's discourse by emphasizing the importance of female voices in literature and society. It highlights how the narrative critiques the silencing of women and the need for their stories to be told. The exploration of the wallpaper as a metaphor for women's writing underscores the ongoing struggle for representation and the evolution of feminist literature. This connection is vital for understanding the historical context of women's issues and their relevance in today's discourse.