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Confinement is a major theme in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. The wife in this story was restricted by an overbearing husband who censored and restricted her movements. She lived in a society not ready to accept modern theories on mental illness. She exemplified what a typical submissive wife was in Victorian times. John, the husband, humiliated his wife, controlling her actions out of power rather than concern. He enjoyed regulating her activities and his pleasure is apparent in his laughter at her actions and thoughts. “John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage” (194). When she tries to explain how she feels about the wallpaper he brushes her off and downplays her feelings. “. . .He laughs at me so about this wall paper” (196). Even when he sees improvement of her mannerisms, the wife remarks, “He laughed a little the other day, and said that I seem to be flourishing in spite of my wallpaper” (202). Laughter is a way to ridicule a person and I see John using it for this purpose only. The story never mentions him laughing at anything besides his wife and her impractical thoughts. He knows that she is miserable with the wall paper and instead of removing it, he tells her she must learn to cope with it. “. . . He said that I was letting it get the better of me, and that nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fancies. I must use my will and self-control and not let any silly fancies run away with me” (199). John, being a doctor, thinks anything opposing practicality is unsatisfactory. “He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things not to be felt and seen and put down in figures” (194). His wife knows that John does not believe her or underrates the experience she is going through.
Approximate Word count = 1278
Approximate Pages = 5.1
(250 words per page double spaced)
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