"The Yellow Wallpaper"

This story is by far my favorite of all the short stories we have read thus far. I love the narration of the story, her writing everything in a diary. I almost feel like I am invading her privacy by reading all her thoughts and it makes it feel as if I am there. The woman sounds sane and perfectly fine in the beginning of the story, but as the story develops her mental status unfolds as well. The story illustrated perfectly well the question: “Can we trust the narrator?” In this case there is no way we can. All her writings are her perspective and by the end it is clear the woman is mentally insane.

One thing I loved about the story is how the author did not tell us everything, but made us figure it out. For instance: “Then she said that the paper stained everything it touched…” (p.67). This told me that while the woman was trying to figure out the wall paper she was rubbing up against the wall. Also, the author gives hints on the woman’s mental status throughout, the notion she can actually see the woman from the wallpaper on her property during the day. She even is irritated when she thinks other people are looking or trying to discover the meaning of the wall. She is so determined to be the first to discover the true meaning and feels rushed to do so before she moves out.

The description of the wallpaper is so well written it can be imagined and even makes me angry at times because it is described with such confusion as if the creator was hallucinating while creating it. I want to tear the paper down myself and be down with it throughout the story. In the end, I love how the woman says her husband and Jennie cannot keep her out and she is free. She is not fighting her disorder anymore and is letting her husband now she is crazy, but free as well.