Showing results for "The Yellow Wallpaper" in Anthologies & Short Stories

One of the earliest creative approaches to feminist literature, this sinister horror story tells of a woman's mental anguish and unconscious struggle with conformity in a society that generally viewed women as weak and hysterical creatures unable to think for themselves. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), a prominent American feminist, paved the way for other authors like Sylvia Plath and Alice Walker. She suffered mental illness during her life and ultimately committed suicide.

The Yellow Wallpaper is a short story of extraordinary power, exploring issues of mental health, the role of women in society, and the oppressive nature of the patriarchy. Told in the first person, the story follows the plight of a woman confined by her husband in a small room in an old mansion—ostensibly for her own good. As her boredom increases and her sanity deteriorates, she becomes fixated on the wallpaper in the room, the yellow design of which includes an image of a trapped woman.