The Yellow Wallpaper Irony

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In the short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, written by Charlotte Perkins Stenson, the author uses irony, symbolism and point of view to exemplify the effects depression has on people. This demonstrates how depression masks itself as mixed feelings under a cloud of denial until it appears once again suddenly and uncontrollably. Sadly, this allows the illness to affect the main character both physically and mentally. She is forced to believe that something in wrong with her and is told by her own husband that she is suffering from a deadly disease. Her husband John is manipulative and controlling and refuses to let her talk. She very dearly wishes to speak, but loves her husband and respects his word. Her inability to find her voice eats away at …show more content…

This essay will discuss how the author uses the figurative devices listed above to give the reader a glimpse into the mind of the woman and how her depression leads to her demise. As the story begins, we learn that the main character’s husband, John, is a doctor who spends many days and nights away from home, traveling and taking care of people with serious illnesses. We learn that the wife suffers from depression and must take vacations and time off from work to get better. However, her husband refuses to believe that she is ill and just tells her to relax rather than trying to treat her depression. Here we see the first instance of irony. On page 649, She says, “I am glad my case is not that serious! But these nervous troubles are dreadfully depressing”. She claims her case is not serious yet still finds dread in her situation. In this context, the use of the word “depressing” implies that the situation is more dire than we are led to believe and her illness is more serious than her husband leads her to believe. We see irony appear again later when she begins to describe her room in better detail. She updates the reader on her mental state and talks about the yellow wallpaper in the room, which she finds fascinating, but also repulsive. She begins

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