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Symbolism Within The Yellow Wallpaper

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Symbolism Within “The Yellow Wallpaper” Symbolism within a story holds a lot of importance. When symbolism is created within a story it gives it a deeper significance. For example, At the beginning of the story the yellow wallpaper is merely an annoyance, but as the story goes on it develops a much deeper meaning. Other than the yellow wallpaper there are more symbols that contribute to depth of the story. At the beginning of the story the young couple has just had a baby. The mother, also the narrator of the story, is most likely suffering from postpartum. The husband, John, is a physician and decides it is best, they go to stay in a private estate for the summer. John thinks it's in his wife’s best interest to stay in a room by herself on the top floor, in order for her to get well. The room she is staying in contains a lot of symbols that resemble her life and feelings towards things in her life. The wife is keep to a strict daily routine, taking medicine at set times, eating at a regulated time, and told she only meant to rest. John has also, forbidden imaginative or creative expression in any way. This forces …show more content…

This is ironic, because of her current situation as a mother. The room has bars on the windows, they were originally placed there to keep children safe while playing in the nursery. The next thing that draws her attention is the yellow wallpaper, she finds absolutely repulsive. She also notices that the bed is heavy and held in place by chains so that is can not move. Another hindrance the wife is aware of is the gate at the head of the stairs. All of these things the wife has a strong distaste for. She wishes for John to fix the room, but he does not think this is necessary. “He said that after the wallpaper was changed it would be the heavy bedstead, and then the barred windows, and then that gate at the head of the stairs, and so on” (Gilman

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