The Yellow Wallpaper, written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892, 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. As the story progresses, the narrator becomes increasingly isolated and begins to lose touch with reality, eventually becoming convinced that there is a yellow wallpaper in her room that is trying to communicate with her. The story is a powerful critique of the societal norms and expectations placed on women during Gilman's time, and it continues to be studied and debated by scholars today.
By Charlotte Perkins Gilman · First published 1892 · Genre: Feminism Literature, Non-fiction, Social Criticism