Analysis of Setting in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”

Eric Fitzgerald Critical Es learn Keith Wilhite 10/22/12 Analysis The yellow W on the wholepaper In bring ins of literature, authors endure to use various literary techniques to help the subscribeer understand the work without an explicit explanation. In the ill-judged story The Yellow Wallpaper Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses backcloth to connect with the theme in order to give the reader an arrest of the bank clerks developing insanity along the rough-cut sex roles of the late 19th century.The teller records journal entries that docu workforcet the decline of her kind state throughout her progressively slanted perception of reality. Her decline in mental health, which seemingly begins as relatively steady, eventually becomes broken in a elan that is exemplified through her explanation of the physical compass. Setting is use as a basis of the plot because without its unique setting, the story would view less credibility of being plausible. Gilman provides a compatible setting and theme, which leads to a smooth plotline in the story.The story takes get off in a pleasing pass field that the narrators husband tooshie has removeed out for ternary months to give his wife time to relax and recover from her illness. This setting instanter tells the reader that the husband and wife live focal ratio-middle class or upper class lives. antic, a physician of high standing, clearly does precise well for himself financially as he lives comfortably enough to rent out a luxurious summer home for the three months of summer (316).Although the narrator refers to the rental rate of the home as cheap, it is still a luxury expense that not many families would so freely incur. This situation suggests that whoremaster makes a good amount of money and allows the reader to infer how this family lives. Because Gilman has provided this setting, the reader is commensurate to assume these more descriptive aspects of the story. The narrators first entry in her di ary seem sane when read superficially, however the way she views her living space seems all too optimistic.She referred to her sleeping accommodation as a nursery and assumed that it was a nursery first, accordingly playroom, and gymnasium, I should judge for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls (317). Yet when she described the so called nursery, one bottom have serious doubts. She mentioned that the size of the bed was that of an fully growns, and was the only switch of furniture in the room. The reader can immediately headway this situation because it does not make sense for there to be an adults bed in a room that was for young children, or a gymnasium.The narrator later mentions that, for some reason, the bed is nailed to the floor and that there is prodigious damage to the legs of the bed. She explains, scratched and gouged and splintered, and the plaster itself is dug out here and there (319). The narrator blames thes e descriptions on violent children. The reader develops a further understanding of the narrators lack of sanity when the room in portrayed with a sense of her being locked inside. She discloses that the room has barred windows and a barrier pickings away her access to the stairwell.She seems to be unaware of these possibly intentional curb of the room, but the reader gains insight to the credible previous usage of the room. In actuality, it allows the reader to question her sanity throughout all of her writing. There is a chance that the asylum was deliberately chosen for the insane narrator and John led her to believe it was a nursery to circumvent disturbing her minute hysterical tendency (316). The Yellow Wallpaper was written in 1892 and takes place in about this same time period.In this century, gender roles among men and women were distinct. The men worked and played a superior role in society, while the women stayed at home to cook, clean, and take care of the children prov ided they had any. In the story, John has the overall king in the stick out, while the narrator does as he says. The narrator showed her devotion when she immediately stopped writing when she noticed her husband was on his way to her room. She said, There comes John, and I must put this away, he scorns to have me lay aside a word (317).Beyond the relationship of physician to patient, John is demonstrating his empowerment as a husband in this late 19th century short story when he does not allow his wife to go forebode her Cousin Henry and Julia, he said I wasnt fitting to go, nor able to stand it after I got there (321). The husband-wife relationship surrounded by the twain is further uncovered in the narrators poop journal entry. She accidentally woke up her husband in the night when she got up from her bed to explore the activity in the cover and goes on to say to John that it is a good time to talk (322).Through their discussion, it is clear that John is talking down to his wife when he calls her little girl and cries out, purify her little hear (322). Additionally, John seems as though he declines to accept the fact that his wifes condition is not improving as he continuously reinforces the idea that she is getting better. The relationship between the two is clearly dominated by John. His wifes reliance on him and her lowliness are highlighted by Johns condescending conduct. Furthermore, John placed his wife in an upstairs bedroom, where she ended up spending all of her time away from the rest of the house.Contrary to where the wife wanted her bedroom to be, she thus far endured the discomfort that the hideous yellow wallpaper brought to the room. After a small description of the wallpapers lack of attractiveness, the narrator stated, I should hate it myself if I had to live in this room long (317). In this moment, Johns wifes declaration of hate towards the yellow wallpaper in a way foreshadows her imminent insanity. Throughout the stor y, the narrators thoughts become increasingly involved with the wallpaper to the point where most readers would question her sanity.Although she often mentions that she feels her health is improving, her writing becomes progressively obsessed with the wallpaper indicating her worsening mental state. Mentioning stark naked developments in the wallpaper, she states, There are always new shoots on the fungus, and new shades of yellow all over it. I cannot keep count of them, though I have tried religiously (324). She also goes on to reference various other strange flesh out of the paper such as its smell, its color, and that she believes there is a woman toilet it making it move (325).At this point in the story, it is clear that the narrator has lost(p) her grip on reality as the setting ultimately contributes to the plot line of the short story. Additionally, the narrators distance from the central areas of the house symbolizes the distance between her mental state and reality. T he rest of the family resides in the common place of the house where they carry out their days a familiar reality. The author portrays the narrators figurative separation from the regular, sane gentlemans gentleman by physically distancing her from everyone else in the house.The narrator is also separated in terms of the social hierarchy of the house. The husband paid for the rent of the house and moves about freely in it while he requires his wife to outride in her room at all times, which also demonstrates his gender ascendency in the late 19th century. Often times, the setting of a literary work can contribute much more to the reader than only when informing the time and place of the work. The reader can gain a better understanding of many different aspects of a work when the setting is critically analyzed.The narrators decline in mental health begins as relatively stable to the reader but eventually becomes separate in a way that is exemplified through her clarification o f her physical setting. Her modify mental state can partially be blamed her already preexisting nervous tendency, but is certainly a result of her confutable treatment and her husbands denial to his wife as an adult on a level social hierarchy. The setting in The Yellow Wallpaper plays a crucial role in being able to thoroughly understand the literary work.