In nineteenth century America, women had little to no say over any aspect of their life. They could not vote, get higher education, and have an identity separate from their husbands. Women in the nineteenth century were stay-at-home mothers who lacked freedom and had few opportunities- they were home all day cleaning, cooking, and caring for their children. "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman tells the story of a woman who is locked in a room by her husband all summer. Being in the room all summer by herself makes her eventually go crazy and see things in the wallpaper of the room. The wallpaper is a symbol for women in the nineteenth century who felt trapped in their marriages. Through symbolism in "The Yellow Wallpaper," one can gain a better understanding of women's rights in the nineteenth century.

In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story "The Yellow Wallpaper," the main character's husband, a doctor, tells her that she is suffering from a temporary nervous depression and that she must stay in the house and get as much rest as possible to try and recover from her illness. He also has her "take phosphates or phosphites-whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air and exercise, and [she is] absolutely forbidden to 'work' until [she is] well again." (Gilman 209) She is forced to follow her husband's instructions and she feels as though she cannot express her true feelings. She says, "Personally, I disagree with their ideas ...  But what is one to do?" (Gilman 209). She feels helpless in her marriage and that she is stuck with obeying her husband because he "laughs at [her] of course, but one expects that in marriage." (Gilman 208). The fact that she says it is expected in marriage that a husband should laugh at his wife's ideas shows that women were not taken seriously or listened to back then. She wishes to express herself but does not since her husband will not take her seriously. In the nineteenth century, this was a common feeling among women because they had no identity separate from their husbands. 

This feeling leads the narrator down a pathway of insanity and obsession with the wallpaper in her room, which she describes as "dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study ...  I should hate it myself if I had to live in this room long." (Gilman 210). The wallpaper fascinates her and she studies it constantly, finding odd patterns and symbols within it. She ultimately determines she sees "a woman stooping down and creeping about" (Gilman 214), and that she "just takes hold of the bars and shakes them hard." (Gilman 218). She finds the pattern in the wallpaper and becomes fascinated with it, eventually "[peeling] off yards of that paper," (Gilman 219) in an attempt to help the woman in the pattern escape. The wallpaper is used a symbol for women in the nineteenth century who felt trapped in their marriages. The narrator sees women creeping about behind bars in the wallpaper because she herself feels trapped and as though she is one of the women in the wallpaper. She attempts to free the women in the pattern by peeling the paper off because she wants to free herself from the constraints of her marriage and her diagnosis by her husband. 

The story also gives readers details of her sickness and more about her life as it goes along, including that she has a baby. The fact that she has a baby is barely brought up and when it is mentioned it is very brief and one can get a sense of a disconnect and almost dismissal of the fact that she gave birth. The narrator says, "It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous." (Gilman 211). This shows a symptom of postpartum depression, which is being unable to be with a baby because of nerves. She also says that "I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time." (Gilman 213) Crying often and at seemingly nothing is another symptom of postpartum depression which affects her. Another symptom of postpartum depression that the narrator suffers from is having trouble bonding with her baby. This becomes clear to readers when she says " ... I cannot be with [the baby], it makes me so nervous." (Gilman 211). Being nervous around people is often a sign of not being able to bond with them or being worried that you will not be able to bond with them or have any sort of normal interaction with them. The narrator says she is thankful that "Mary is so good with the baby." (Gilman 211), because she feels she cannot care for the baby herself. She even goes to say that she "can stand [the wallpaper] so much easier than a baby," (Gilman 214) even though she is driven insane by the pattern in the wallpaper.

Back in the nineteenth century, women's rights were not what they were today- women were trapped in their marriages and had no individual identity. The wallpaper in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's story symbolizes the women trapped in their marriages and lives because the pattern is one that shows women creeping around behind bars, as discovered by the narrator of the story. She herself relates to the women in the pattern, and projects her feelings onto the paper, and this is why she believes the pattern is one of women creeping around. The narrator feels trapped within her marriage, and her diagnosis ad given to her by her husband, and so she attempts to free the women in the wallpaper pattern in an attempt to free herself. The symbolism of the wallpaper in the story "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows the struggle of women in the nineteenth century.

