The Yellow Wallpaper

by Charlotte Perkins Stetson

The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story written in the late 19th century, often associated with the feminist literature genre. The narrative explores the themes of mental illness, gender roles, and the constraints faced by women in a patriarchal society. It follows the mental deterioration of a woman who is confined to a room by her husband, who is also her physician, under the pretense of helping her recover from what he diagnoses as temporary nervous depression. The story is presented as a series of journal entries written by an unnamed woman who is taken to a secluded mansion for rest cure. As she spends time in the nursery, she becomes increasingly obsessed with the room's yellow wallpaper, which she finds repulsive yet fascinating. Over time, she perceives a figure of a woman trapped within the wallpaper, reflecting her own feelings of oppression and entrapment. As the protagonist's isolation and desperation grow, she begins to identify with the figure, leading to a dramatic climax where she asserts her will by tearing down the wallpaper, ultimately rejecting the control her husband has over her life. The story is a powerful commentary on the struggles against patriarchal domination and the importance of self-identity and freedom.

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Horror, Fiction, Feminism, Gothic, Read For School

ebook

Published November 1, 1999

Reviews

[Rachel Sandler]

Girl, kill him, you deserve a treat.

[Haley Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

fiction but make it feminist resistance. well yes!! 👏

[Maddison Micetick · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is why you should always believe women!!!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Yellow Wallpaper is a short but powerful story about a woman slowly losing her mind while being kept isolated in a room for “rest.” Her husband seems to mean well, but he does not listen to her, and that makes things worse. Charlotte Perkins Gilman quickly shows how damaging it can be when people are not heard or taken seriously.

The story feels tense and a little creepy. The wallpaper in the room becomes a strange and scary symbol of her growing fear and frustration. It’s not full of action, but it pulls you in and makes you think.

I recommend it if you like stories that are emotional, unsettling, and still feel important today. I listened for free on Spotify during my evening walk.

[Azra · Rating 4 out of 5]

valid crashout queen

[Sasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no idea this book was written 130 years ago. It’s incredible how modern the writing and topics are

[ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay queen

[Liz [ia] · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's my spirit animal.

[Jia嘉 · Rating 4 out of 5]

her crashout was so valid

[Martha☀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

These 33 pages pack a punch. And the punch is even mightier when you realize this novella was written in 1892. It is scarier than any modern day horror novel - by a long shot.

After the birth of her first child, Jane is diagnosed (by her physician husband) with a nervous depression and slight hysteria. His prescription is to take a three month lease of a house in the country side where Jane can rest. He then schedules her every day with bedrest and brief outdoor time.

“You see he does not believe I am sick!”

The room she stays in is papered with a multi-patterned and striped wallpaper in a foul yellow, torn in places by the previous occupants. As she lies there, the paper seems to quiver and waver, with cruel eyes watching her and a figure creeping just at her periphery. Further study of it reveals an image of a woman, trapped behind the stripes. It is here that Jane's post-partum depression really takes hold and plunges her into madness.

This little book has three pages of notable quotes on its GR page, each one better than the next. Here's my favourite:

“Women are pretty much people, seems to me. I know they dress like fools - but who’s to blame for that? We invent all those idiotic hats of theirs, and design their crazy fashions, and what’s more, if a woman is courageous enough to wear common-sense clothes - and shoes - which of us wants to dance with her?”

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found myself looking up more about this story as soon as I finished it. It’s wild how the “cure” for women’s depression used to be doing absolutely nothing—no writing, no thinking, just isolation and staring at wallpaper. Honestly, I’d start seeing things too.

[Claude's Bookzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

You should absolutely read this creepy masterpiece! Full RTC when I have recovered.

[Elaina McClendon 📚🌸 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been meaning to read this since I read it in school. I actually enjoyed this. I liked how the writing was direct but not direct. It’s like the author was telling you what was really happening, but you couldn’t really tell because of the main character’s “vivid imagination” and her being “anxious.” And the writing itself feels like it haunts you try to piece together what’s happening.

[noey ♡☁️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

reading this gave me a new historical appreciation for why so many women in the past felt compelled to poison their husbands

[Katherine (Kat) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 Stars

WOW!! I loved this.
The creepy part is that it just felt so relatable while reading through it.

[૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** forgot to write my review, here’s my thoughts after a while:

I think the ending is so ambiguous but I’ve come to the conclusion that she must have actually killed herself and that’s why the husband fainted. It’s very possible that this house is some sort of private asylum, and thats why the bed is all bolted down and gnawed on. girl when she started gnawing on the post too I knew she was a goner. it’s interesting, I see how this is feminist literature as her husband is ye old classic psych misogynist that is hyping up her mental health issues (cough cough ACTIVE PSYCHOSIS) to just girlie things hysteria and the solution is to lock her away. But the way she makes loose associations and ideas of reference have me super intrigued. Also, interesting that all her hallucinations are visual but this is also from ye olden times. Liked it a lot and I enjoyed trying to guess on what happened versus didn’t

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

great short story

[Lillian B (Kaladin Stormblessed version)]

I read this for school!!

[koko kingston · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t even know how to rate this! 😭

It’s a really short story (like 40 something pages) and it definitely kept me intrigued the whole time! It was really interesting being in the MC’s head and seeing how her situation was affecting her.

Definitely recommend if you just want something short and mind-boggling to read.

[Cortney B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary in a too real way for women of this time, with a dose of environmental creepy sprinkled on top to bring it all home.

[Nicole Roccas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not understand the ending but okay...

[˗ˏˋ maja ˎˊ˗ · Rating 4 out of 5]

never trust a man's "good" intentions

3,75/5 ⭐️

[veni · Rating 5 out of 5]

men are evil ALWAYS!

[abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

What even happened. I’m so confused

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

For such a short read, this story really hits hard. It's vague and keeps you guessing about whether the narrator is actually reliable or slowly losing her mind. You get pulled into her journey with postpartum depression and how women back then were so often brushed off as just being “hysterical.” It’s a quick read, but a powerful one that sticks with you.

[kiya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

claustrophobic as hell

[Fee Schellekens · Rating 5 out of 5]

love feminism ❤️

[Sarah Wallis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very spooky gothic feminist horror short story.

I needed a quick story to read out and about today (bc I can’t bring my 900 pg final TOG novel anywhere bc it’s a freaking brick) and finally read this classic.

Very creepy, very unsettling, got the job done. It’s interesting to think about how the medical system continues to ignore women’s health issues and label them as hysterical or overreacting over a hundred years later. I love the symbolism of the women trapped in the wallpaper mirroring the way women were/are trapped by domesticity. I just adore feminist literature and I need to take a class or something bc I just want to talk about this with people that are smarter than myself.

Also glad to live in an era in which we are at least aware of postpartum mental health issues… yikes!

[kaitlyn a. maynard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I haven't read this since high school but found myself thinking about it and wanted to revisit it.

It just makes me angry how little women were (and still are) taken seriously in society and by men, especially in terms of mental health. And what a tragic story. The way the audience follows along as the main character details her personal experience falling into psychosis.

I empathized with this novella a lot more in my 20s than I did in my teens. Definitely worth rereading.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wait... omg... what???