The Yellow Wallpaper, By Perkins Gilman - 1658 Words

Perkins Gilman aptly used narrative voice to shape the meaning of â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper,† by writing a first-person narrative about a woman who slowly loses herself to madness. This voice is one of a woman who may possibly have post-partum depression or some other form of manic depression, and her unheard cries for help. She slowly draws within herself, and allows the insanity to take over. Within the first few paragraphs we learn general characteristics about the narrator: she is middle class, as indicated by the phrase â€Å"mere ordinary people† (354); we also learn that she is married, suggested a statement about John laughing at her, something she says is only expected in marriage. Though we are never given her name, these generic aspects†¦show more content†¦Early on, she openly admits that she may be ill, which quickly lends some reason to doubt when it comes to some of the things she talks about. Are there really women hiding behind the wallpaper? Surely not. Is there a woman lurking in the bushes outside? Unlikely. Are the patterns and shapes on the wallpaper interesting and thought-provoking? Probably so. That is all she thought of the wallpaper when first confined to the room—yellowish in color, with strange shapes woven into the texture. However, as her condition worsens, the way she looks at the wallpaper grows more and more distorted. The textures and strokes take shape and form; they turn into living beings, women who are confined between the layers of wallpaper. The narrator begins to feel sympathetic for them, feeling trapped and confined as well. The narrative slowly shifts from first- to second-person, with the inclusion of a â€Å"you.† Instead of simply describing her feelings, she then begins to say â€Å"this is how such a thing would make you feel.† The narrator’s descriptions of the room itself change with each entry. At first, it is merely irritating. She describes the color as â€Å"repellent, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning light† (356). Any reliable, sane person would be irritated by an ugly yellow on their walls. By the second entry, she admits she has a growing fondness for the room, aside from the wallpaper. She starts to pick out