Conflict in the Yellow Wallpaper

Conflict is a normal part of everyday life and is an issue that every one faces. It is defined as a state of struggle or fight caused by the actual or perceived opposition or threat of needs, values, interest, status and power. Conflict is also a very important, common and necessary element in stories. It allows the author to add excitement and suspense thus making the story entertaining for readers. In stories, conflict is classified as any difficulty or problem that involves the characters and usually takes place in the formats of a character opposing them self, a character opposing another and a character opposing an object. The “Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman perfectly depicts conflicts and exemplifies the various types of conflicts.

The “Yellow Wallpaper” takes place in a house in which the main character and her husband are spending their summer vacation. It is a short story of a woman who is suffering from a nervous condition. Her condition results in her having a lack of energy and prevents her from carrying out basic duties that she would be able to if she was not ill. The woman is given the rest cure. She is forbidden from doing any type of work or writing. Her husband, John is a physician and he constantly urges her to rest so that she can overcome her illness. The woman however, does not agree with the rest cure and feels that she must write and work in order to get better. Her illness sets the stage for the multiple types of conflicts that were depicted in the story.

One of the conflicts that were revealed from the beginning of the story was the conflict of one character versus another the conflict was between the woman and her husband, John. This conflict is a type of external conflict – a state...

... middle of paper ...

...ause an increased psychological discomfort for the woman and prevent her from overcoming her nervous condition. The woman is stuck between trying to overcome her illness in a way that’s healthy for her and trying to please and appreciate her husband for trying to help her overcome her illness according to his cure which is causing her a great deal of mental strain.

Conflict is apart of the model of society. It is a very common component of reality and also in stories and other forms literature. In stories, it adds sensation and stimulates the minds the people who are reading it. Characters can be in conflict with another character, an object, or themselves. When characters are having conflicts however it is more than just a mere disagreement but it is a situation in which the characters detect a threat to their physical, emotional, power and status well-being.