Jane in "The Yellow Wallpaper" narrates her own life experiences. Being accused of being mad with the influence of society's expectations of a woman. Locked away in what is a mental prison of her husband and society's expectations on women. Charlotte Perkins narration is an embodiment of the struggles that women faced while seeking mental and/or physical freedom. As this for some would be portrayed as a thriller, it is clearly a standpoint on the limits and holds women faced when not in the norm, and finding herself in a creative way. .
Her husband, John, being quite the example of a dominating spouse that holds control and power when it comes to his wife is one of the reasons why this would be considered as a topic of feminism. Throughout the narrative you see classic examples of domestic over powering, such as when Jane says "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage" (Gilman, Paragraph 1). Jane's imagination to John is at first taken as a joke and laughs at her but then because dangerous and she is then labeled as mad. As a primary example of her labeled madness from her husband only comes as a completely ignorant thought, "And I know John would think it absurd. But I MUST say what I feel and think in some way-it is such a relief!" (Gilman, Paragraph 16) as you can see is her knowing that her husband just follows what society has put out but she knows better, differing from her husbands thoughts. Further hurting his wife by taking her newborn child away from her will only drive her to insanity. While he is a doctor and should to know the best diagnose for his wife's madness, he later portrays himself as one who does not help in the plan to aid his wife's recovery but only drive her more insane, according to society's thoughts on how a woman should be. .
As for their roles in this traditional relationship, they then became reversed in Jane's mind.
