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Example research essay topic: Woman In The Wallpaper Victorian Era - 1,482 words

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The Yellow Wallpaper illustrates the narrator's plight in the Victorian era. The main character, the narrator, is a woman suffering from depression in a time when women were totally dependent on men, and often dismissed as being nervous and hysterical females. The inability of women to become active persons in their own lives as well as, society's decision making processes being dominated by men, contributed to the narrator's malaise. The story is told from the female perspective, a depressed woman struggling to survive. The story takes place at a summer vacation home, where the narrators husband, a physician treats her depression in a condescending manner. He either placates her, or dismisses her feelings, typical of the Victorian era: If a physician of high standing, and ones own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency-what is one to do? (658).

This is an example of her oppressed female status in the existing society, as well as, in her own life. Other dominant males in her life also hold the same opinion: My brother is also a physician, and also of high standings, and he says the same thing. (658). Again, this demonstrates a sign of the times where males dominated. This viewpoint causes the narrator to question herself and her feelings, as well as, to justify the males opinion.

I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus - but John says the very worst thing I can do is think about my condition. (658). She disregards her own feelings. Once her feelings and needs are dismissed by John she does not pursue the conversation further. This denial of her feelings along with the isolation only exacerbates the depression. Yet, social pressures cause the narrator to still value her husband's opinion. With her Victorian background, she perceives that love is her husband taking care of her and making decisions for her: I dont like our room a bit.

I wanted one downstairs. but John would not hear of it. He is very careful and loving and hardly lets me stir without special direction. (659). The cause of her depression may be attributed to what we now call post - part - depression. There were some references to her recently having a baby: It is fortunate that Mary is so good with the baby.

Such a dear baby! And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous. (660). Compounding the depression was the application by her physician-husband of a "rest-cure." Further compounding the depression, the "rest-cure" causes her to become increasingly introspective. The only outlet the narrator seems to have is her writing. However her husband does not approve of it, this too is a contributing factor to her depression. She must write in secret, however, writing in secrecy makes her feel more isolated and nervous.

The fact that she feels safe to write at all is because she is writing a "dead paper" to no-one: I did write for awhile in spite of them; but it does exhaust me a good deal-having to be so sly about it, or else meet with heavy opposition. (658). This opposition adds to her depression. She begins to get paranoid and talks about the eyes in the wall that symbolizes her constantly being watched. Finding the time to write and always having to do it in secrecy compounds her mental state: There comes John I must put this away-he hates to have me write a word. (659). Even John's sister, the housekeeper, is expected to discourage her from writing: She is a perfect housekeeper, and hopes for no better profession. I verily believe she thinks it is the writing that makes me sick.

But I can write when she is out and I see her a long way off from the windows. (661). As the summer goes by and she is isolated more, and able to write less, her condition worsens. There is talk of sending her away to a specialist for "rest cure" in an institution: But I dont want to go there at all. I had a friend who was in his hands once and she says he is just like John, and my brother, only more so I am getting dreadful fretful and querulous. I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time. Of course I dont when John is here, or anybody else, but when I am alone, and I am alone a good deal now. (661 - 662).

Isolation takes its toll and she becomes obsessed with the wallpaper in her room. After disliking the wallpaper intensely, she begins to find it interesting and starts to spend all of her time studying it. She is a very creative person and without the creative outlet, she finds other areas for her mind to work: I am getting really fond of the room in spite of the wallpaper. Perhaps because of the wallpaper. (662). The narrator has found a way to keep herself busy in a room with barely anything. She analyzes the wall paper to keep her mind active: There are things in that paper that nobody knows but me, or ever will.

Behind that outside pattern the dim shapes get clearer every day. It is always the same shape, only very numerous. It is like a woman stooping down and creeping about behind the pattern. (663). An element of foreshadowing is demonstrated when the narrator discovers something intriguing about the wallpaper: There is a very funny mark on this wall, low down, near the mopboard. A streak that runs around the room.

It goes behind every piece of furniture, except the bed, a long straight, even smooch, as if it has been rubbed over and over. I wonder how it was done and who did it, and what they did it for. Round and round and round - round and round and round - it makes me dizzy!" (666). Her obsession with the wallpaper intensifies day by day.

During the day she is either studying the wallpaper, or sleeping. At night, there is more activity in the wallpaper, so she is more alert and aware: I really have discovered something at last. Through watching so much at night, when it changes so, I have finally found out. The front pattern does move-and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it. (666).

Her obsession with the woman in the wallpaper becomes her whole focus. The woman in the wallpaper struggling to get out is the narrator in her own struggle. The obsession gets more intense as the time for them to leave approaches, because she does not want to dismiss her needs or feelings any longer. She want's to have control over her life but the only way she can do that is to listen to herself and her needs and not let her husband continue to run her life. As time goes by, she feels free to creep as the woman in the wall paper does: "It is the same woman, I know, for she is always creeping, and most women do not creep by daylight.

I dont blame her a bit. It must be very humiliating to be caught creeping by daylight! I always lock the door when I creep by daylight. I cant do it at night, for I know John would suspect something at once. (667). She wants to wait until she feels secure enough in her own mind before she lets John know she is beginning to take "control." She is left to wonder, "if they all came out of the wallpaper as I did?" (668). She finally takes "control" when she tears down all of the wallpaper and locks the door.

In a sense, she has set her inner-self free and locked her husband out. He is forced to listen to her when she tells him where the key is. The key, for her, lies outside. She unfortunately cannot "creep, " or act on her own accord, there. Her "freedom" comes within the insanity of the room, and her mind cannot reconcile her feelings with those of her social surroundings. Her depression has forced her to look at herself, to discover the natural woman within her.

What she found was a system that, "strangles them off and turns them upside down, and makes their eyes white. " (666). She has discovered that she cannot go back. She has gotten out, "in spite of you and Jane! And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back!" (669).

Unfortunately, her attempt at freedom came in Victorian times where she was not able to explore her natural being but was forced to creep around the "smooch" in her room in her insanity along, "my path by the wall" (669). Bibliography:


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Research essay sample on Woman In The Wallpaper Victorian Era

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