Essay On Symbolism And Imagery In The Yellow Wallpaper

In “The Yellow Wallpaper” written by Charlotte Perkins Stetson, symbolism and imagery are used creatively to examine the main character’s view of the wallpaper and how it changes throughout the story. The main character, also the narrator and protagonist of the story, was suffering from more than just postpartum depression, but also a possible case of schizophrenia. Throughout the short story, the narrator takes readers on a journey through how the psychosis, most likely caused by a possible diagnosis of PPD, and the yellow-papered room affecting her and her desire for freedom, using symbolism and imagery while slightly touching on point of view.
The yellow wallpaper has become an obsession and fascination for the narrator, while she is becoming

Due to the fact that she believes she is the woman trapped in the pattern, she also now feels as though that she is able to escape and never return to her controlling husband. As she identifies with the woman trapped in the wallpaper, “At night in any kind of light, in twilight, candlelight, lamplight, and worst of all by moonlight, it becomes bars! The outside pattern I mean, and the woman behind it is as plain as can be” (Stetson 653), it becomes obvious to readers that she may not be aware of her restrictions in her conscious mind, but her subconscious mind is. This causes the belief that John wants to help her and do what’s best for her, however -- that’s not the case. However, “The Yellow Wallpaper” is narrated by a mentally unstable person, which makes it especially hard to dissect the story because what she is seeing and what she thinks she is seeing, along with the mentions of Jennie and John, could be perceived differently by readers than what it was supposed to come across