“The Yellow Wallpaper,” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is a short story told directly from the narrator’s point of view. Through her personal thoughts, feelings, and interactions with her husband, readers may conclude that the narrator is mentally ill. I argue that the setting of the story has the most prominent effect on the narrator’s mental stability. Without the setting, the narrator would have never realized her discontent in her marriage and spiraled toward insanity. This story is unique in that each component of the setting symbolizes an aspect of the narrator’s marriage.

At the very beginning of the story, the narrator describes the house she is living in as “A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house, and reach the height of romantic felicity—but that would be asking too much of fate!” (299). She mentions that reaching “romantic felicity” would be asking too much of fate because she and her husband John are no longer physically intimate and she is unsatisfied with the state of her marriage. Also, from this piece of text, the comparison of the estate to a haunted house foreshadows the progression of the narrator’s mental condition. 

In the first description of her room, the narrator says “I don’t like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs…but John would not hear of it” (300). The fact that John would not take her opinion into consideration shows his authoritative nature. Had the couple not stayed in this particular house while their home was being repaired, she would have never been faced with the decision of which room to stay in and she would have stayed home in a room where she was comfortable.

Also when describing the room, she says “It was a nursery first and then playroom and gymnasium, I should judge; for the windows are barred for little children” (301). The narrator knows she is living in a room that was once a nursery. The fact that she is likely suffering from post-partum depression and has to stay in a room that was a nursery has a directly negative effect on her mental state. The barred windows are a symbol for the narrator, which cause her to see the flaws in her marriage. The bars on the windows are significant because they represent John’s way of constraining her thoughts and actions. 

When describing the wallpaper, the narrator says “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” (301). The narrator shows her mental instability when she personifies the wallpaper by saying that it “commits suicide.” The wallpaper is causing her to have feelings that would have never surfaced had she not been in this particular room. Her condition worsens because of the feelings she has against the wallpaper and room as a whole.

Later in the story, the narrator reflects back to a time when she felt safe, her childhood. She says, “I remember a kindly wink the knobs of our big, old bureau used to have, and there was one chair that always seemed like a strong friend…I could always hop into that chair and be safe” (303). The feeling of safety and comfort has become a distant memory for the narrator. If she had not been exposed to this estate, these feelings would have never crossed her mind. Her temporary residence has influenced her mental state in such a way that she would have flashbacks to years prior when she felt a sense of safety and contentment.

Readers may argue that the setting of “The Yellow Wallpaper” has no direct effect on the narrator’s mental state, and there are valid arguments against my proposal. One quote comes from the narrator’s description of the estate as a whole. She says “The most beautiful place! It is quite alone, standing well back from the road, quite three miles from the village” (300). From this quote alone, one may feel as if she loves the estate and is happy to spend her time there, but in the same paragraph, she says “It makes me think of English places that you read about, for there are hedges and walls and gates that lock” (300). The locked gates are yet another way the narrator can compare this estate to the control she feels from her husband John. Much like the barred windows, the locked gates symbolize her containment. 

Another valid counterargument could be derived from the quote in which the narrator says “I get a lovely view of the bay and the little private wharf belonging to the estate. There is a beautiful shaded lane that runs down there from the house” (302). This quote would lead readers to rightfully believe that the narrator feels peace when admiring the view from the window, but her mental condition is proven in the next sentence when she says “I always fancy I see people walking in these numerous paths and arbors” (302). Although she may state that her view is lovely and beautiful, the view is clearly causing her hallucinations.

Ultimately, the narrator’s mental illness can be contributed to her surroundings. Had she not been exposed to this particular estate, room, and wallpaper, her issues would have never surfaced and become prevalent. The setting of “The Yellow Wallpaper” triggers the plot of the story, which is centered around the mental condition of the narrator and her relationship with her husband John. Although one could argue that the setting has no effect on the narrator mentally, there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports my argument.