The Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)

 The Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)

9/10


I know the author didn’t really intend to anything with this topic, but I couldn’t help but feel that this story was very similar to cosmic horror stories. The slow, slicky descend into madness and the shocking ending totally fit my taste.

During my second read, I came up with an interpretative thought that the ‘ripping away the wallpaper’ and ‘letting the woman out’ is a possible metaphor for giving birth. It seems the main character is mentally obsessed with the concept of birth after actually giving birth to a child. This obsession, combined with the stress originating from her husband’s oppression, might have been expressed in the form of seeing a woman, symbolizing both the newborn baby and herself, who must be freed.

I also focused on the husband character. He doesn’t show any intense form of emotion during the story except the ending, and treats the main character almost like a child. His actions are based on his love and good will, but also on his misperceptions and ignorance. In the end, it all backfired, swallowing his wife in madness

I simply loved the chaotic yet immersing writing of this story. I rated it nine out of ten. (200 words)

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