Faces On The WallIn Charolette Perkins Gillman's short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" it is evident that good intentions do not always produce good results. I am making the assumption that because the time this story takes place is in an era in which such practices seen in this story were considered beneficial, that John's desire for his wife is for her to get well. Accordingly, he secludes her to a dreary room with only yellow wallpaper to look at that "is hideous enough, and unreliable enough, and infuriating enough, but the pattern is torturing." (209) Rather than help ...view middle of the document...
" (203) The yellow wallpaper in the room is atrocious andencourages negative creativity. Throughout the story, the wall serves as an enemy to thenarrator's wellness and constantly disturbs her. She tells of the pattern having noorganization to it, and annoyingly enough all she can do is stare at it. "It is dull enoughto confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provokestudy, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenlycommit suicide." (203)Though the narrator desires social stimulation, John's isolation approach causesinsanity. She is not allowed to see her baby or people on the outside world. This goesagainst natural laws. Society provides a plethora of sights, sounds, and feelings whichare important in keeping the mental state healthy. In the beginning, the narrator isdiagnosed with a temporary nervous depression. With the so-called treatment she receives, shesuffers from hallucinations. This only reaffirms that the isolation John subjects thenarrator to does nothing but magnify her minor illness.In the end, the narrator is driven to insanity and John, her husband, faints afterseeing her in such a deranged state. This enforces the fact that his intentions for her weregood; however, the total isolation fails to bring beneficial results.
