Tone, volume, pattern, and diction can convey a lot about what an author is trying to say, without having to explicitly state it. Charlotte Perkins Gilman is an example of an author who utilizes grammatical mechanics to vividly communicate with readers, the sense of elevated frenzy the woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” lives with. In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Gillman uses unconventional punctuation, such as excessive use of dashes, many italicized words, and a surplus of exclamation points to mimic the stream of consciousness of the mentally ill woman, effectively making it easier for the readers to understand the erratic nature of her mental processing.

Throughout the short story, Gillman uses 97 dashes to convey the rapidly changing stream of consciousness of the protagonist. The dashes break up the typical flow of traditional writing. They force the reader to stop and examine where one thought stops and the other begins. For example, while describing her husband, John, the protagonist says, “John is a physician, and perhaps- (I would not say it to a living soul, of great relief to my mind-) perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster.” The dashes separate her thoughts on John’s influence over her health, and her conviction not to speak of it to anyone. Overall, the use of dashes disrupts the linear nature of traditional thought process. As “The Yellow Wallpaper” is told from the perspective of a mentally ill woman, the dashes effectively illustrate her muddy thoughts and rationale. 

In addition to dashes, the author utilizes italics to put emphasis on certain words, which add to the overall tone as the words she emphasizes are not always logical. When the protagonist expresses her misgivings about the house John tells her that the strange feelings she is having are simply because of a draught. The idea that a draught is making her uncomfortable is not such a radical belief. However, when she writes about telling John of her fears she says, “I even said so to John one moonlight evening, but he said what I felt was draught, and shut the window”. Italicizing the word “draught” creates a tone of disbelief, as though she cannot believe John would suggest something so ridiculous. The italics encourage a sense of disbelief because it changes the normal intonation of a declarative sentence. The italics help the reader understand her distrust and disbelief over little things such as a draught. As an outsider, it is necessary to understand her irrational thoughts in order to appreciate her lack of mental organization.

While the author utilizes italics to emphasize certain words, she also uses exclamation points to create a childlike tone, which contributes to the readers understanding of the woman’s mental condition. Over the course of the ten-page short story, 89 sentences end in exclamation marks. Exclamation points suggest excitement or enthusiasm. The frequent use of exclamation points in the story creates a slightly manic, childish tone. They create a manic tone because it seems like she is excited about everything. For example, she punctuates, “There is a delicious garden!” with an exclamation point because she is excited about the size and arrangement of the garden, an understandable use of punctuation. However, later in the story when she is talking about her mental illness she says, “I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already!” When talking about something as serious as the burden of mental illness, most people would take a serious tone. However, the use of the exclamation point makes it difficult for one to take what she is saying seriously. Her excited tone makes her appear like a child who does not understand the seriousness of the situation. Gilman exploits punctuation as a way to use tone to convey the state of the woman’s well-being. 

While some many argue the author’s punctuation choices are only stylistic and have no deeper meaning, their frequency and power to convey deeper meanings suggest otherwise. Gilman skillfully, and intentionally uses dashes, italics, and exclamation points as a tool for the reader to understand the struggles of a mentally ill women in a time period that was not proactive about such problems. The punctuation operates as an effective way to put the reader in the protagonist shoes, and help in the understanding of her mental illness.