I enjoyed reading The Yellow Wall Paper. I also enjoyed the classroom discussion and the exchange of ideas of the reading. There was miles of ambiguity to this story. So much to draw from and ideas. I believe the woman in the story was mentally ill in some way. She may have been driven to her mental state by some circumstance the reader doesn’t know, or perhaps her husband has convinced her of it, or the other thought could be the medications could be causing her to hallucinate.
The story is still very interesting whatever conclusion a reader derives from it.
The contrast in the story as I viewed it was while she had a distaste for the wall paper she is getting some level of pleasure from her study of it.
She is like a great deal of women in life. Some are trapped in their circumstances and don’t really know how to get out. While she is physically in a room she doesn’t desire, some women are trapped by their mentally, perhaps not having the mental strength to get out of their situation,
My opinion about her husband is a strong one. I can think of many negative adjectives to describe him but, right now I will simply say he seems extremely selfish to no end. Why has he locked her away in this child like room? After all she is his wife. Even if she has some mental issues why are they not sleeping in the same room or the same bed for that matter? My thought is he really doesn’t love her the way a husband should. I will go so far as to say even the patient doctor relationship is a mess. This woman has no support network. No one to rise up and advocate on her behalf. So sad. This poor woman is in a somewhat abusive situation at the hand of her”husband/doctor”. Shes being told how to live her own life!
However depressing her situation or the story, it is a good read and one to ponder about the way women have been treated and dismissed in society over history and to the present day.
Renee Mans.
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