The Yellow Wallpaper tells the story of a mentally sick woman trapped between her husband and happiness. The story addresses gender roles from the mid-19th century, and how women were treated as inferior to their male counterparts. The author's initial purpose was not to create a story based on gender roles and women's rights, but rather to create a story around her own time being sick and how she came back with little help from her male doctor. However, after its writing the story was credited as giving a good view into women's rights and gender roles during the 19th century.

Throughout the story, the narrator unquestioningly follows her husband's every command. Whether it is making her go to a big empty house that she didn't want to stay at, or even telling her to ignore feelings that she can't control, her husband's word was what she followed. Being locked in her big yellow room for such a long time, the narrator had plenty of time to talk and think about herself and how she should act. She always doubted her husband and why she was with him, but always came to the conclusion that "John says if I feel so, I shall neglect proper self-control; so I take pains to control myself- before him at least, and that makes me very tired"(Gilman 209). She continued to do what her husband said during the entire story, always ending up thinking her husband was right. To treat her mental illness, the narrator's husband gave her a treatment of seclusion from the world. Even though she felt like the treatment he was giving her was uncomfortable and not helpful, she kept to his word, followed the doctors' orders, and stayed locked away in her room. She assumed that whatever her husband said was what must have been right, so she listened to him and did what he said. During the time of its writing in the 19th century, gender roles were completely different then they are today. Women were expected to stay at home, cook, clean, take care of the children, and do anything else at the house. Men however were expected to go to work, make money, and be the head of the house. One could argue that to an extent the same thing still goes on today, but the major difference is that in today's society doing these things are a choice. Men can raise a child, women can go to work, and everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. Back then, women had fewer rights and could not actually obtain a job or own a house, among many other things. The story shows how women were expected to do household activities, even though the narrator doesn't because of her sickness. Instead, Jennie takes care of the house and fulfills all of her duties because the narrator could not. Her husband John had a job and made money for their family as it was expected.

John in the story is incredibly plain, the blankest slate of a husband one could think of as a character. He has no personality traits in the story besides being a husband, and his profession as a doctor was the way they made money. The couple is fairly well off for themselves, and the narrators husband made decent money as a good doctor. During the time the story was written in, it was normal for a man to make enough money to live comfortably and take care of his wife while she stayed at home. Women weren't allowed to have a job, let alone be doctors until many years in the future. According to the law, women could not vote, could not go to court and sue, they couldn't even own property for themselves. The narrator didn't have a job, own anything, or really go outside of the house much. It was not only because she was sick, but because as a woman her rights and privileges in this country were greatly restricted.

The most important aspect of this story is the yellow wallpaper. The narrator focused on the wallpaper while stuck up in her room, always describing it in descriptive detail. She says, "I never saw a worse paper in my life. One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin. It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide- plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard-of contradictions. The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. It is a dull yet lurid orange in some places, a sickly Sulphur tint in others."(Gilman 210). The story contains many more evolving descriptions of the paper as the narrators sanity seems to slip away. Even through this torture of being stuck with the wallpaper and relentlessly asking to be let out, her husband kept her in the room while she convinced herself it is for her sake. It would be unheard of at the time for her to disobey her husband's wishes. He was a doctor, as well as her husband so she believed his order must have been the best thing for her. The irony of the yellow wallpaper never seems to fade in the story. Yellow is seen as a color of warmth, cheerfulness, and childishness. As children once lived in that room on the top floor, the color was appropriate. However, in its unfortunate decay and hideous pattern, the cheerful yellowness faded to a mellow dreadfulness. The narrator's happiness faded as well as she was trapped in the room following her husband's instructions. She knew it was not the best for her, but wouldn't speak up to tell John that the treatment was not right. She always did what he said, even when she knew it was not the best for her.

From the start of the story you can tell the dynamic of the couple's relationship is different than marriages today. As it continues, the disparity between how husbands and wives were treated in a relationship at the time becomes more prominent. The wife was always assumed to be treated with less social respect, but also be treated with kindness as a lady. Men however were treated with more respect, and would not be talked back to by their wives. The narrator casually mentions that, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage."(Gilman 208). Back in the 19th century, before the full fight for woman's suffrage, it was normal, and almost expected, for a man to treat his wife like she is below him. The man was typically the one to own all the property, have a job, and be the head of the family, while women were typically caregivers and home keepers. In today's modern society, roles have changed. It is now normal for both men and women to work, raise children together, and have equal rights and roles in a relationship. Women can now not only do all the things that men can, but are also starting to be expected too. The women at home and men at work mentality is breaking down so that gender roles are becoming less of an issue. Yellow Wallpaper helps to give us a clearer understanding of the rights and expectations of men and women during the 19th century. It was once thought that a women's place was at home, while a man's was making money. Times have changed and expectations have evolved so that these guidelines to what we do are more even. Men can do what is thought of as a woman's job and vice versa. The social and legal constructs of gender rights are being broken down as time goes on. Today people can do what they want under the law and men and women are equals. Times have changed from the gender roles of the 19th century, and women don't have to feel inferior in rights to their husbands.

