"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a short story by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 and is considered one of the early feminist works. But I didn't know that going in. I came across this while searching for horror short stories. So it was confusing for me while I read it. But the implied domination of the husband over our protagonist, or the wife, was not lost one me. But for the most part I had trouble understanding what was the meaning of all the things happening and what the author is trying to convey by her obsession with the wallpaper and the lady which appears to be hidden in the wallpaper. Initially I was of the impression that the wallpaper is exaggerating the OCD or some other mental trouble our protagonist had and leading her to the point of delirium that everyone starts viewing her with suspicion. But after the culminating passage another impression that shone on me was that the wallpaper is the symbol of the disordered society. The broken patterns are where women should have been and the lady behind the pattern symbolizes the invisible role women has been forced to play. But see this may be and exaggeration on my part in the story all that I have currently said is far from obvious. I also don't know for sure that whether the story presents itself to be a larger social commentary. What I also don't understand is the problems with the husband. I felt that our protagonist was holding back what she had to say and was not quite expressive about the disease she had. The disease is also another mystery. Similarly I think there are many examples in the book that very swiftly went over my head. So I'm unhappy about that. I wanted the story to explain itself somehow, in more than just cryptic messages in the end. What was that she wanted as a human person. What was the injustice that was done to her. Nothing is clearly explained. After reading this it makes me believe more in the stereotype that is associated with feminists that they are just well-off, privileged women, bored with their idle and comfortable lives, they want to do something edgy. I wont blame the book alone. Maybe the fault is mine: me being both male and non native English speaker. But still I hold the notion that the story was not quite impressionable upon me.
"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a short story by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 and is considered one of the early feminist works. But I didn't know that going in. I came across this while searching for horror short stories. So it was confusing for me while I read it. But the implied domination of the husband over our protagonist, or the wife, was not lost one me. But for the most part I had trouble understanding what was the meaning of all the things happening and what the author is trying to convey by her obsession with the wallpaper and the lady which appears to be hidden in the wallpaper. Initially I was of the impression that the wallpaper is exaggerating the OCD or some other mental trouble our protagonist had and leading her to the point of delirium that everyone starts viewing her with suspicion. But after the culminating passage another impression that shone on me was that the wallpaper is the symbol of the disordered society. The broken patterns are where women should have been and the lady behind the pattern symbolizes the invisible role women has been forced to play. But see this may be and exaggeration on my part in the story all that I have currently said is far from obvious. I also don't know for sure that whether the story presents itself to be a larger social commentary. What I also don't understand is the problems with the husband. I felt that our protagonist was holding back what she had to say and was not quite expressive about the disease she had. The disease is also another mystery. Similarly I think there are many examples in the book that very swiftly went over my head. So I'm unhappy about that. I wanted the story to explain itself somehow, in more than just cryptic messages in the end. What was that she wanted as a human person. What was the injustice that was done to her. Nothing is clearly explained. After reading this it makes me believe more in the stereotype that is associated with feminists that they are just well-off, privileged women, bored with their idle and comfortable lives, they want to do something edgy. I wont blame the book alone. Maybe the fault is mine: me being both male and non native English speaker. But still I hold the notion that the story was not quite impressionable upon me.
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