In “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, it is easy to tell by the story that the protagonist is a very unreliable narrator. I found several quotes in the story that can prove this.
1) “John is a physician, and PERHAPS–( I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)–PERHAPS that is one reason why I do not get well faster. You see he does not believe I am sick.” Â This quote from the story makes me believe that she is making herself sick because her husband say that she is fine, but she says that he does not believe that she is sick. I think this may be a mental thing.
2) “If a physician of high standing, and ones own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporarily nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency-what is one to do” This quote from the story makes me feel as though shes trying to convince the reader that even though the husband says she is not sick, there is plenty wrong with her so she must be.
3)”I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus -but John says the very worst thing I can do is to think about my condition , and I confess it always makes me feel bad.” This quote makes me believe that she lies about things because if John thinks shes fine then he would not to to her about her condition. I also believe that she is trying to make the audience pity her.
These quotes prove that she is an unreliable narrator because she seems very dishonest.
The narrators relationship with John seems very complicated. I found a few quotes to prove this.
1) “I get unreasonably angry with John sometimes. I’m sure I never use to be so sensitive. I think it is due to this nervous condition.” I think this is interesting because she says she gets overly angry at him, but covers it up by saying that it is probably just her condition.
2)”He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction.” This is also very interesting because this proves that her husband takes care of her.
3)”John does not know how much I really suffer.He knows there is no REASON to suffer that satisfies him.” This quote makes me think that they don’t communicate as much because if they did, he would know that she believes that there are reasons to suffer.
These quotes prove how complicated they are. John seems like he cares about her and  doesn’t want her to keep believing that she is sick. The narrator depicts John as a caring man who may not fully understand what she is going through.
Gilmans story’s may be defined as a utopia and dystopia. A utopia is an ideal place or state and a dystopia is a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease and overcrowding. I think that “The Yellow Wallpaper would be the dystopia because it doesnât seem like she is in an ideal state because she believes she is very ill, and seems very paranoid. Her relationship with her husband is also not ideal, The utopia would be “The Cottage” because the narrator would marry Mr. Ford.
The setting in âThe Yellow Wallpaperâ was basically at home, where she was stuck all the time. I think thatâs why she hated the yellow wallpaper so much because she always had to look at it. In âThe Cottageâ the setting was mostly outdoors and the author made it seem like Malda really loved it.
In âThe Cottageâ I do believe that Malda was a reliable narrator because she was happy.
1)âI was delighted with it. More than delighted. Here this tiny shell of unpainted wood peeped out from under the trees, the only house in sight except the distant white specs on far off farms, and the little wandering village in the river-threaded valley. It sat right on the turf,-no road, no path even, and the dark woods shadowed the back windows.â This quote shows how happy Malda was with the cottage and the areas surrounding it.
2)âNever did I know real joy and peace of living, before that blessed summer at âHigh Court.â It was a mountain place, easy enough to get to, but strangely big and still and far away when you were there.â This also proves how happy Malda was to be living here.
This proves that she is a reliable narrator because she is happy, so there would be no reasons to lie.
