"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story that explores the themes of gender roles, oppression, and the effects of isolation on mental health. The narrator, who is unnamed, is a woman who has been confined to a room by her husband, a physician, due to what he believes is a nervous disorder. The room is covered in yellow wallpaper, which the narrator becomes increasingly obsessed with as she spends more time in isolation. The story builds towards a climax as the narrator's grip on reality begins to slip, and she becomes convinced that there is a woman trapped inside the wallpaper. Through her writing, Gilman critiques the societal norms of her time and raises questions about the role of women in society.
By Charlotte Perkins Gilman · First published 1892 · Genre: Feminist Literature, Social Commentary, Non-Fiction