Lexus Kerr
Mrs. Rutan
AP Literature and Composition
17 December 2014
A Corrupted Mind
Neglection is never acceptable; it can drive a person to madness. Have you ever been alone? Not just the feeling of loneliness, but actually alone? Madness is the state of being mentally ill. Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story, The Yellow Wallpaper, shows what madness can do to a person-- mentally, physically and emotionally. The Yellow Wallpaper is broken up into many small paragraphs filled with short sentences and lots of thoughts coming from Jane, the woman driven to insanity. Gilman also has great imagery and personification. The author argues that when someone is not properly cared for--potentially alone-- their mind can corrupt them and when a person is left with just their thoughts and feelings, madness is possible.
The health of an individual is incredibly important. Gilman argues the affects mental health can have on a person, and in this case, it leads to an obsession with wallpaper. Jane is stuck in a bedroom with an “immovable bed” (4) and is always wanting to write. She has nothing else, arguing, “John is away all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious” (2). The neglection Jane receives from her husband, John, has her brain captivated. Gilman allows you to see the way she is feeling with, “I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time” (4). The emotional pain someone feels can cause a domino effect on their actions and feelings. Jane is mentally ill.
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Gilman doesn’t shy away from the empowerment that the mind can have on someone and he does a great job showing this throughout the story with the imagery and personification he uses to describe the wallpaper. Jane is very psychotic and distraught when it comes to the yellow wallpaper stating,“It slaps you in the face, knocks you down, and tramples upon you” (7), as she describes the pattern of the paper. She also expresses the color, “The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight” (2). Jane’s attraction to this wallpaper is obviously not normal, and Gilman’s word choices allows the reader to capture just how infatuated Jane is with this pattern. Jane expresses “The front pattern does move-- and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it” (7). This quote grabs the readers attention and is direct evidence that her mental illness is real. Gilman proves that Jane’s thoughts are not normal, and her attraction to this wallpaper is very weird.
Neglection is the state in which something is improperly cared for, and Gilman succeeds in showing exactly what neglection can do to a person. Jane spends her days in this bedroom all alone and often is concerned about what John says or thinks explaining, “John says I mustn't lose my strength” (4) and “John is so pleased to see me improve” (7), yet he is never home. The neglection John shows towards Jane has her mindset extremely confused. Due to the lack of care he has for her, makes Jane only want to please him more. Gilman is able to argue this with the repetition of John this and John that.
Humans crave attention and affection, and a person should never be alone.
Jane’s health is more than effected by the way John treats her and that is shown throughout the story with her various thoughts and actions.
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Humans crave attention and affection, and a person should never be alone.
Jane’s health is more than effected by the way John treats her and that is shown throughout the story with her various thoughts and actions.
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Charlotte Perkins Gilman argues the dangers equipped when someone is driven to madness. Jane’s condition surfaced because of many different elements and contributions, including John’s uncared attention towards her. Many people face situations everyday and have no one to turn to which can cause their minds to go insane. So who do they turn to? In this case, Jane turned to an intangible object-- the yellow wallpaper. Her thoughts and feelings consumed her mind.
Despite the situation, no one should ever be left with just their thoughts and feelings because in the end, it could end up destroying them.
Works Cited
"Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-paper"-Writing Women | EDSITEment." Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wall-paper"-Writing Women | EDSITEment. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plan/charlotte-perkins-gilmans-yellow-wall-papermdashwriting-women>.
"Free Vector Vector Clip Art Cartoon Thought Bubble." Cartoon Thought Bubble Vector Clip Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://all-free-download.com/free-vector/vector-clip-art/cartoon_thought_bubble_54889.html>.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, and Dale M. Bauer. The Yellow Wallpaper. Boston: Bedford, 1998. Print.
"The+yellow+wallpaper - Google Search." The+yellow+wallpaper - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <https://www.google.com/search?q=the%2Byellow%2Bwallpaper&newwindow=1&biw=1280&bih=882&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZJyUVMTGOIqyyQSN1YKgAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg#facrc=_&imgdii=1KML8bmrzUWqvM%3A%3BtrKVwruAJTy8zM%3B1KML8bmrzUWqvM%3A&imgrc=1KML8bmrzUWqvM%253A%3BZukxZ64Vr2pX8M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwritingonwomenwriters.files.wordpress.com%252F2013%252F03%252F2533375828_f88a5bfa46_z.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwritingonwomenwriters.wordpress.com%252F2013%252F03%252F21%252Fthe-yellow-wallpaper-2%252F%3B640%3B473>.
"Free Vector Vector Clip Art Cartoon Thought Bubble." Cartoon Thought Bubble Vector Clip Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <http://all-free-download.com/free-vector/vector-clip-art/cartoon_thought_bubble_54889.html>.
Gilman, Charlotte Perkins, and Dale M. Bauer. The Yellow Wallpaper. Boston: Bedford, 1998. Print.
"The+yellow+wallpaper - Google Search." The+yellow+wallpaper - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. <https://www.google.com/search?q=the%2Byellow%2Bwallpaper&newwindow=1&biw=1280&bih=882&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=ZJyUVMTGOIqyyQSN1YKgAw&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg#facrc=_&imgdii=1KML8bmrzUWqvM%3A%3BtrKVwruAJTy8zM%3B1KML8bmrzUWqvM%3A&imgrc=1KML8bmrzUWqvM%253A%3BZukxZ64Vr2pX8M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwritingonwomenwriters.files.wordpress.com%252F2013%252F03%252F2533375828_f88a5bfa46_z.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwritingonwomenwriters.wordpress.com%252F2013%252F03%252F21%252Fthe-yellow-wallpaper-2%252F%3B640%3B473>.