Critical Overview
"The Yellow Wallpaper" lends itself to many different readings, but most obviously it invites—some critics might say demands—a feminist approach. The narrator is not only physically imprisoned in her comfortable, airy room; she is spiritually and intellectually confined in a patronizing male world that reduces her to childish dependency. Whatever critical approach one adopts, the important thing is not to simplify Gilman's complex and richly ambiguous narrative.
- Feminist Criticism:
- Feminist critics find ample material in Gilman's short story, which focuses on the perceived "danger" of feminine self-expression and the denial of basic freedoms by the predominantly male culture.
- Historical and Sociological:
- Gilman wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" as an early feminist and social reformer. As she stated in "Why I Wrote the Yellow Wallpaper" (see the link below), Gilman noted that her primary goal was to eliminate the rest cure.
- Biographical Criticism:
- While "The Yellow Wallpaper" is fiction, it is based on Gilman's own experience with the rest cure which many women experienced at that time.
Critical Articles
"Why I Wrote 'The Yellow Wallpaper'" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (The Forerunner, October 1913)
Gilman's response to why she wrote the story.
"An Obstacle" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1890)
A poem about prejudice, written by Gilman.
"To the Young Wife" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1893)
A feminist poem by Gilman.
From To Herland and Beyond: The Life and Works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman by Ann J. Lane (New York: Pantheon, 1980)
Lane provides an insightful paragraph on the role of women in the late 1800's.
From "Gilman's Gothic Allegory: Rage and Redemption in 'The Yellow Wallpaper'" by Greg Johnson (Studies in Short Fiction. Vol. 26, Fall 1989)
Johnson discusses the madwoman's actions as acts of rage.
From "'Too Terribly Good to be Printed': Charlotte Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper'" by Conrad Schumaker (American Literature: A Journal of Literature. Vol.
57, Dec. 1985)
John's thought process is the topic of this section.Additional Resources: The eighth edition of Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama includes an essay by Juliann Fleenor, "Gender and Pathology in 'The Yellow Wallpaper.'" The Bibliography includes an extended list of writings about Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Continue your Web Explorations by visiting Gilman Links.
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