The Yellow Wallpaper — My notes
The yellow wallpaper is a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, illustrates depression and how the narrator went mentally broken and eventually experienced psychotic episodes. These are the topics that intrigued me. Actually it’s about “attitudes in the 19th century toward women’s health, both physical and mental.” as Wikipedia concluded. But I guarantee you that you will never regret reading it.
I was about to recommend it to my specific friends whom I think have a refined taste in art, not to a random friend. Because I didn’t like the way how some people grimacing their face when they mentioned the story was creepy and scary. But anyways, I decided to suggest it somehow. I don’t know what’s changed my mind but just read it. In addition, I think this story is to deliver some serious messages than just to scare someone. Sooo…
PS:
It is written in so beautiful and refined way and its choice of words is pretty impressive.
And After you read it, I want you guys to answer a few questions below cuz it helped me to understand the story thoroughly. (I included my answers too hhe) Also, you don’t necessarily have to answer though :)
1.Could the wallpaper have been any other color?
-I don’t know well about the philosophy or scientific interpretation behind the color yellow and its effect on people. But, i really love yellow. Everything in yellow, just like red, more likely to hook my attention like how the yellow bus that takes me home stands out from others. It is somehow persuasive. When i see some pretty stationery stuff in yellow, i just purchase it without any hesitation or pull the door of buildings which are in yellow because it reflects more light than the other colors. But it sometimes makes me panick or maybe excited. The point that I’m trying to make is the wavelength of yellow is similar to red. Both colors feel overwhelming and exhausting when i stare at for too long. Obviously, it must’ve been sooo hard for her to resist that illumination and deal with it’s inducement. And also it could’ve been red instead of yellow but i feel like if the wallpaper was red, she’d end up dying due to anger or high heart rate.
2. What does the “what can one do?” mean? How does that statement say about her state of mind?
-Even though her husband says she needed exercise and all those physical stuff, she’d already known only thing she needed was stimulation. But she hesitated. Why would want more when she could ponder and think about her condition secretly and even write sometimes? And she did put her decisions and responsibilities in his hands. Just like that. Few times she hesitated. But she wanted to forget about it. Then wanted to change the subject depicting the house. She knew she can’t change her husband’s opinion. She’s just indifferent. Or her society forced her to be. Or maybe I’m using the wrong word.
3.Does the yellow wallpaper ended the way you expected? How?
-It’s true that the ending was shocking. The story began with lots of metaphors and phrases that were obviously showing artsy image and elements. Also it’s given me the sense that the narrator likes to write. And I thought the story would end up in a kind of inspirational or bright way. I had illustration that the woman would get out of her old and gloomy environment and essentially find her passion for writing just like any other books which have “happy endings.” But it turned out to be totally different.
4.What did you enjoy or hate most about the story?Why?
-I don’t like reading. Actually i hate it. But I think I’m kind of realizing that everyone loves reading and they just need to find the right one. Recently, I’ve been fancying this kind of books and stories. Anyway, I think the author wrote this not only to show how woman are treated like a child and importance of feminism but also to show the point we often fail to understand. The yellow wallpaper was published in 1892 pointing out female voices. But I think this is also the story of artists. For instance, Vincent Van Gogh, who was born and died the exact same time as the main character was living, had a same treatment by his surroundings. He wasn’t that destitute man. He had rich family, friends and relatives who would support him. However, he suffered from mental illness, delusions and psychotic episodes and he even cut off his left ear with his own hand. After all, he committed a suicide, not by taking medicine or hanging, but by shooting himself. It’s terrible. But it’s the reality that gifted and inherent artists went through. And I personally believe that this story briefly says that we should be proud of our artists, writers, painters, and philosophers who must follow a rather lonely and individual path. Umm In terms of confusion, I didn’t get the hang of why her husband fainted so easily. I think I’ve been expecting more expressions and role from him to get some sense that how men would react to these kind of things and the difference between men from that period and men from “this” society. Or maybe this was the only method to define the difference briefly.
