Main Character Analysis - The Yellow Wallpaper - Essay Example

THE CENTRAL CHARACTER OF THE STORY REPRESENTS AN ‘OUTSIDER’ WHO DOES NOT WANT TO CONFORM TO THE TRADITIONAL NORMS AND HENCE FREES HER SOUL FROM THE PRETENSE OF THE CONVENTIONAL WIFE WHO ABIDES BY HER HUSBAND’S DECISIONS WITHOUT INDIVIDUAL JUDGMENT. Women have attempted to get rid of the conventional definitions of their roles and the ideology forced upon them, thus seeking for a redefinition of Womanhood. Charlotte Perkins Gilman illustrated the struggle of the female character of the story to overcome the patriarchal constraints in order to be able to cultivate her writing talents.

Here she talks about the dominating care of her husband as she says, “He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction… There comes John, and I must put this away, --he hates to have me write a word. We have been here two weeks, and I haven't felt like writing before, since that first day. I am sitting by the window now, up in this atrocious nursery, and there is nothing to hinder my writing as much as I please, save lack of strength” (Gilman, 1891, 2) Gilman also points out the lack of cooperation from the female counterparts which have helped the male reinforce their dominance.

She has mentioned the case of the sister of the woman’s husband in this regard. . From the fact that John would not encourage her writing let alone appreciate them, she gradually suffered from low-self esteem. The following lines express her feelings, “But these nervous troubles are dreadfully depressing. John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no REASON to suffer, and that satisfies him.” (Gilman, 1891, 3) The work represents the Cult of Womanhood, which ties up the women folk to the ambience of the home and family.

Here the woman has been confined to the defined parameters that have been set by men. Constant domination negatively affects her creativity, as she has to put in the extra effort in order to overcome the mental set back and arouse the self-encouragement within her. The character Gilman creates in her story is an inspiration to all the women who have confined themselves within the shackles of dominance. She depicts the challenges thrown towards patriarchal ideologies and how women could move beyond the conventional barrier of ideology imposed upon them.

She cites a reflection of this situation as she describes the changes in the wallpaper, saying, “There are things in that paper that nobody knows but me, or ever will. Behind that outside pattern the dim shapes get clearer every day. It is always the same shape, only very numerous.” (Gilman, 1891, 6) she wonders whether all women would be able to walk out of these artificial misleading designs created deftly by men – “I wonder if they all come out of that wall-paper as I did?” (Gilman, 1891, 12) The central character of the story ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ therefore represents the ‘outsider’ to the set norms of the society