The Yellow Wallpaper: How The Power of Insanity Frees The Soul.
In the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Gilman, the young wife seems.
to become a victim of her society's attitude towards women. Although the young wife is.
victimized, she appears to free herself of her afflictions and retain a sense of personal power by.
keeping her real thoughts to herself and acting on them secretly. Before losing her mind, she.
tries desperately to communicate her despair to everyone around her, but when no one appears.
to care she begins to think she is trapped in a world that only she can see. In "The Yellow.
Wallpaper", the young wife seems to become a victim of her surroundings, a victim of her.
husband, and a victim of isolation.
To begin, the surroundings in "The Yellow Wallpaper" are very important in.
understanding the young wife's feelings of being a victim and creating the setting of the story. .
The story takes place in New England during the late 1800's. When the young wife sees the.
rental home for the first time she states, "A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a .
haunted house." This statement by the young wife shows the immediate concern of her.
surroundings when she first sees the house. Also, during this time, women were expected to be.
totally committed to their husbands and to never question their authority. The young wife.
appears to be very committed to her husband John in this manner. The young wife becomes her.
husband's victim by letting him keep her from doing the things she thought would help her feel.
better. The young wife enjoyed writing, and had been told several times by her husband that if.
she continued writing she would never get the rest she needed to recover. Although obedient to.
her husband the young wife retains a bit of her own personal power by hiding and writing entries.
into her journal.
Moreover, the young wife gives the impression of being a victim of her husband, John.
