Short stories still haven’t grabbed me in the way that I had previously hoped. I have tried short stories from a lot of my favorite writers such as Nabokov, but I still have yet to find one that I have genuinely cherished. Perhaps there is an issue with how the character development and world building is accomplished – I have never found a short story that excels in both. Writing in short stories are usually decent, but if I am not attached to the story or the actions of the characters, then it already holds less meaning for me.
With that said, The Yellow Wallpaper was probably one of the better short stories I have read. Gilman’s writing was good, though it lacked a particularly distinct style, and some parts of it were a bit confusing. Overall, I would still recommend one check it out, though probably not of the utmost urgency.
The Narrator and the Yellow Wallpaper
I will be brief since I don’t want to spoil it, but basically our narrator is writing to us in the form of a diary or journal without headings or dates included. She is the wife of a doctor, and feels that she is ill, though her husband sees otherwise. At the beginning of the story, they are on a 3-month vacation, and when they arrive at their rented estate, they are surprised at what they got for the price that they paid. In the end, they end up residing in the attic.
So that is the basic set-up, which is somewhat standard for shorter fiction, but then Gilman introduces this “yellow wallpaper”, and this is where things start getting interesting. The wallpaper isn’t strictly yellow, but rather a multitude of different hues and shades. The main thing is that it drives the narrator crazy. She can’t stand it, and soon emotions regarding it begin to clash. I will not say any more, but if that hooks up, then I would go check it out.
Themes
The Yellow Wallpaper does address some themes, but most are up for individual interpretation. One recurring theme regarded how marriage trapped women and essentially cut off their voice of free speech. Throughout the story, the narrator tries to speak up, but each time she is either ignored or not taken seriously. Ironically, it is her husband that does this the most, and the eponymous yellow wallpaper becomes a playground for the narrator to be herself (and really, the only place she is allowed). By the end, the yellow wallpaper that served as a “cage” becomes her “liberation”.
Final Verdict
Yeah, so since this one is going to be short, I will be brief. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. I had read it because I had heard about how good it was, but let me just say don’t go into it expecting something completely new and different. Because you might not get that, depending on what you have read before. Personally, I will probably never read it again, but then again, it certainly is short, and interesting in some concepts that it explores.
Overall: C+ (71.8/100) OR 3.59/5 Stars
Character/Setting (30%): 3.2
- Narrator: 1.45/2.0
- Rest of the Cast: 0.2/0.5
- Setting: 1.55/2.5
- BONUS POINTS FOR THE NAMESAKE YELLOW WALLPAPER +0.3
Writing (35%): 3.8
- Style: 1.35/2.0
- Flow: 1.6/2.0
- Consistency: 0.85/1.0
Plot (25%): 3.8
- Exposition: 0.7/1.0
- Rising Action: 0.75/1.0
- Climax: 0.8/1.0
- Falling Action: 0.75/1.0
- Resolution: 0.8/1.0
Enjoyment (10%): 3.5
- General Enjoyment: 1.5/2.0
- Personal Preference: 1.3/2.0
- Recommendation: 0.7/1.0
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