Yellow Wallpaper Woman

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“No woman can call herself free who does not control her own body,” said Margaret Sanger. A woman that does not have control to do what she pleases cannot be free or happy. The speaker in Charlotte Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” finds herself in an unhappy marriage, and her husband disregards her mental illness. As the woman grows continuously sicker, the wallpaper disorients her perspective of the world around her. The woman, oppressed by her marriage, attempts to challenge her husband’s dominant role, but after failing, becomes insane due to her treatment in the marriage. The bothersome wallpaper in her room imitates the speaker’s overbearing and controlling husband. The woman attempts to oppose her husband’s brutality by questioning his …show more content…

As the woman’s mental status deteriorates, she begins to see the wallpaper, as something that is keeping her from her freedom, and herself and a person trapped behind the wallpaper. The speaker says,“The front pattern does move—and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it!" (382) As the wallpaper represents her oppressive marriage, the woman begins to see that she is trapped by it, and attempts to escape it. After such an extensive period of time, the speaker has finally had enough and frantically tries to free herself of her depressing relationship. Finally, the speaker rips down the wallpaper symbolizing the end of her marriage: “Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it! All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths just shriek with derision!" (465-467). As the speaker finally tears down the wallpaper, she feels exhilarated, as she has freed herself from terrible circumstances. The paper “sticks” as her husband attempts to cling to her, but she successfully rids herself of the horrid paper. As the speaker has grown progressively senile, she imagines herself as a woman freeing herself from her marriage, by tearing down the atrocious wallpaper that has been bothering

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