The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Stetson focuses on conflict and the effects it has on the narrator’s mental and physical health. Jane’s mind and feelings are captured in a journal format by the author. Stetson allows John to speak into Jane’s private thoughts, highlighting his control over her. Stetson’s successful portrayal of the protagonists’ internal conflict is achieved through his use symbolism.
Stetson successfully used a diary format to illustrate the effect of conflict upon the protagonist’s psychological and physical wellbeing in The Yellow Wallpaper. A diary is an account of one’s significant emotions and experiences. This was done to give readers a more intimate and personal look at Jane’s thoughts, feelings and thoughts. This is made evident by Jane’s psychological conditions worsening and the author changing her tone. This is evident when Jane, the narrator, says that she can see the garden from one window. The word ‘riotous” refers to something wild and unpredictable, like the garden. This contrasts with what the nursey is all about. The narrator watches the trees and flowers grow constantly from there. Stetson’s language is very effective in showing the contrast between Jane’s desire to be free and her life in confinement. The author’s use a few short, unconnected sentences near the end makes the story feel desperate and hastened. This is evident when “I quite enjoy this room, now it’s bare again. It was quite a mess! The bedstead is quite gnawed. The bedstead is very gnawed. It is evident that Stetson isn’t as lucid as before. These four sentences, while they are connected, are all separate thoughts and not like the aforementioned coherent expression. As it illustrated the gender roles at the time of the story’s publication in 1892, the author overshadowed Jane’s voice. Stetson juxtaposes John’s “He are very careful and loving” (p. 648). This suggests that John is a great man and that they have a wonderful relationship. Stetson uses hyperbole to show readers John’s controlling nature. This highlights Jane’s submissive nature in their marriage. Stetson further exaggerates this by saying, “He is very careful and loving,” (p. 648). Stetson is presenting a picture of John’s controlling nature through hyperbole. Jane doesn’t know what she’s taking and is simply following her husband’s instructions. The author used short sentences with a choppy rhythm to show Jane’s disorganized state of mind. This reinforces the conflict between Jane & John.
The yellow wallpaper used throughout Jane’s narrative best represents Jane’s internal conflict. The wallpaper depicts the structure of society, medicine, family and society within which Jane is trapped. Stetson cleverly used this horrible and frightening wallpaper to symbolize the domestic life that traps so few women. This is clear in “There’s something in that paper,” (p.652) where the “things”, which are both a representation of Jane’s mystery and disturbing ideas, is a good example of Stetson’s clever use of irony. The quote “nobody but me” (p. 652) reveals that Jane is afraid of her secret and “the dim shapes become clearer every day” (p. 652) is another sign she is trying to hide her growing understanding. It is clear that Jane, just like the woman she imagines, is being pulled deeper into her fantasies. The author uses second-person narration to give readers a firsthand account of Jane’s descent into madness. Personification is used to convey the pain wallpaper causes to the narrator. Stetson uses similes to show Jane the pain wallpaper causes.
Although the story was published nearly 100 years ago by Charlotte Perkins Stetson, many of its themes are still relevant today. The major one is the impact conflict has on a person’s mental and physical health. This is made clear by the journal format that is used in the story. This allows readers to get a more detailed look at the feelings and thoughts of the protagonist. Jane and John’s difficult relationship is well illustrated by the author’s ability integrate John’s thoughts into Jane’s private thoughts. This is also her way to critique late 19th-century gender roles. Stetson used literary devices like personification and symbolism to show the internal conflict of the narrator.
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