Throughout history, there have been many occurrences when men have suppressed woman and their rights. This can be seen throughout “The Yellow Wall Paper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (Gilman 299). In “The Yellow Wall Paper”, the main character is trapped in her husband’s home due to her “illness”, which was describes by symptoms associated with nervous anxiety (Gilman 300). This novel takes place during the late 19th century when woman’s rights were extremely limited (Gilman 299). Yet, even with this limited freedom, women fought oppression through the Woman’s Rights Movement. “The Yellow Wall Paper” can be analyzed through the lens of the Woman’s Rights Movement which demonstrates the viewpoint of women’s imprisonment within a patriarchal society during the late 19th Century. This viewpoint was presented by creating a parallel between both the social imprisonment by gender and literal imprisonment on entrapment of the narrator. The main character in “The Yellow Wall Paper” is both physically trapped in a room and mentally trapped due to her husband, John’s, absolute control (Gilman 302). The novel successfully conveys the limited rights of woman during the time period.

In “Historicizing Domesticity: The Impact of the Woman’s Rights Movement”, Marc Egnal, the author, discussed the role of woman during the 19th century as well as described many different views of woman during this time period (Egnal 240). Egnal showed the societal focus of the Woman’s Rights Movement during the 19th century (Egnal 240). The author helps to show the status of woman during the time period in which “The Yellow Wall Paper” was written. He also included how many works of literature portrayed the treatment of women during that time (Egnal 238). However, Egnal also showed the many capabilities of women during the 19th century (Egnal 242). In some ways, women were depicted as strong and qualified. Egnal explained how some believed women were capable of professions such as “writers, painters, and teachers, but not doctors,” (Egnal 242). This would have been a moderate view. However, others still believed women had to stay confined to the house hold and were not capable of being anything more than a housewife. It was suggested in the article that during the 19th century there were separate “spheres” in which men and women lived (Egnal 241). These “spheres” were created when the United States entered the Industrial Revolution and men entered a field much further from the home than ever before (Egnal 240). During this time, women had a very different “sphere” than man (Egnal 240). Stereotypically, men were the bread winners and woman were stuck in the house hold with the “labor of labor,” (Egnal 241)

   In the article “Go Rest Young Men”, written by Anne Stiles for the American Psychological Association, the author exemplifies the suppression of women’s entrapment within not only the home, but also a man’s world is (Stiles). The rest cure and its many aspects gives the reader a better perspective of the main character’s mind set. Back in the 19th century, a common cure for nervous break downs or anxiety attacks for woman was what was called “the rest cure” (Stiles). The rest cure forced rest and no physically or mentally straining activities (Stiles). The rest cure was prescribed for the main character’s “illness” in “The Yellow Wall Paper” (Gilman 301). This rest cure led to the main character having an increasingly impaired mental state due to her loneliness and suppression (Gilman 303). Her debilitated state allowed men, mainly her husband, to maintain control over her actions (Gilman 302). In “The Yellow Wall Paper” this “cure” resulted in the main character becoming more ill and also demonstrated the reality of what woman were facing in the 19th Century.

 As stated in “Historicizing Domesticity: The Impact of the Woman’s Rights Movement” the main job of woman during the 19th Century was to care for children. Ironically, in the case of “The Yellow Wall Paper” the narrator was stripped of her most basic job, being a mother (Gilman 300). According to Stiles, author for the American Psychological Association, “The Rest Cure ensured that women remained in their “proper” sphere: the home,” (Stiles). The rest cure was also supposed to be tailored to the stereotypical sphere of woman. When men felt were disturbed mentally they were never put in a room and told to lay in bed and never move (Stiles). Though both humans, men were treated much differently than women for mental health. Men were told to go to the west to live outdoors and do manly activity’s such as hunting to regain their masculinity (Stiles). Why were women prescribed confinement and men pure freedom for the same disease? The idea of the rest cure as a way to keep woman in their sphere may also show how men were afraid of losing power due to the Woman’s Rights Movement. 

If “The Yellow Wall Paper” is read under this lens of woman’s entrapment the reader is able to understand a more accurate perspective of the limitations of woman’s rights during this time period. For example, in “The Yellow Wall Paper”, the author constantly talks about imaginary figures in the wallpaper, which seem to have woman like qualities (Gilman 301). “The front pattern does move- and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it.” (Gilman 309).  Thus, as depicted in “Historicizing Domesticity”, the figures represent women’s oppression in the United States during the 19th Century (Gilman 304). The figures behind the wall paper were trapped, just like real women were trapped in their “spheres” of the house hold during the 19th century. The figures behind the wallpaper are shaking with distress at their situation and a need for freedom. In the end of “The Yellow Wall Paper” the figures trapped behind the wall were finally able to escape once the main character literally tore down the wallpaper (Gilman 312). The wallpaper represented the patriarchal society of the United States, as it confined women to a specific sphere. When the main character tore down the wallpaper, it symbolized the start of the Women’s Rights Movement within her. In this sense, the author is trying to show how the only way to create change for women, is for women to leave the home and become independent.   

In “The Yellow Wall Paper” the narrator spends most of her time in, what she believes, is an old nursery (Gilman 307). The author creates a parallel between the how the narrator feels and the world she lives in. This parallel also seems to show how the main character felt during her captivity; like a child. This idea of the main character being placed in a nursery shows how woman were seen as helpless and almost child-like during this time period, just as how most woman felt in the 1890s.  John even treats her like a child; “And dear John gathered me up in his arms, and carried me upstairs and laid me in bed, and sat by me and read to me till it tired my head.” (Gilman 305). There is no denying how men believed woman to be completely incapable. The nursery further showed how men could keep woman in their proper spheres. By making woman feel inferior to men it was easier for men to control and persuade women. This also made women feel as though they were meant to be confined to their homes and even certain rooms if men told them that was what was best.

 “The Yellow Wall Paper” was written in the 1890s during the beginning of the Woman’s Rights Movement (Gilman 299). In “Historicizing Domesticity: The Impact of the Woman’s Rights Movement”, Egnal discussed the impact of literary works like the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorn (Egnal 238). These types of works had great impact on the time period, which advocated the Woman’s Rights Movement (Egnal 240 ). Novels like The Scarlet Letter may have been the authors motivation to write “The Yellow Wall Paper”, as both shine light on the treatment of women. As well the short story in itself may have been a vehicle to advocate for the Woman’s Rights Movement by showing the atrocities that woman faced, like the rest cure. The short story was also able to support the Woman’s Rights Movement through its use of symbols like the wall paper, nursery that became the wife’s imprisonment, and use of diction (Gilman 306). These symbols displayed to readers a direct correlation between the situation the main character faced and the cruelty all woman faced during the 19th century. In a way, the narrator’s imprisonment represents the entrapment of woman within a man’s world.

The use of diction is also very important in “The Yellow Wall Paper” to help show avocation for the Woman’s Rights Movement and the imprisonment that woman felt during the time period (Gilman 312). The author chose to use many words that seemed to have double meaning (Gilman 307). “The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern, just as if she wanted to get out,” (Gilman 306) The author uses words such as “behind” in this sentence to show how woman felt trapped “behind” men during this time period (Gilman 306). The author could have just as easily used “in” to describe the placement of the figure, but the author chooses the word behind. This use of diction allows the reader to further comprehend the hidden meaning within the novel and understand the unfair treatment of woman. 

The treatment of woman during the 19th century and their imprisonment within the ever disbanding patriarchal society, known as the United States, is not only shown throughout “The Yellow Wall Paper”, but also helps to support and advocate the Woman’s Rights Movement and feminism (Gilman 312). “The Yellow Wall Paper” was written as a vehicle for change and a pure example of woman’s entrapment. The support for the Woman’s Rights Movement can also been seen throughout other works such as The Scarlet Letter and also journals such as “Historicizing Domesticity” as well as “Go Rest, Young Man”. These additional literary works help readers to understand the full impact and control men had over women during this time period.
