“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman joins the ranks of literary works with thought-provoking endings. In the story, Jane, the protagonist, begins hallucinating in the room that John, her spouse, has locked her in, and eventually removes the wallpaper to rescue an imaginary woman concealed beneath it (Gilman, 2021). In the final scene, John faints after seeing what his wife has done, and Jane states that he cannot put her back under the wallpaper (Gilman, 2021).
My interpretation of this ending is that the hallucination of a woman is Jane’s suppressed sense of self-worth and the capacity to make decisions. As she liberates the hallucination, Jane probably unites with it, thus regaining the parts of her identity lost due to her marriage and John’s constant attempts to restrict her freedom, decisions, and behaviors. At the same time, the extent to which her liberation is genuine may be challenging to assess, as the ending does not portray her as a fully mentally capable person.
From my perspective, the narrator has achieved some independence from John at the expense of losing sanity. Gilman’s (n.d.) experience of contradicting the melancholia treatment regimen recommended by her physician and returning to work implies that her semi-autobiographical fiction is centered on regaining self-directed thinking. In the final scene, Jane’s growing ability to express her will without excessive contributions from her husband is evident (Gilman, 2021). However, Jane’s hallucinations still limit her actual independence, revealing that her husband might have to remain her guardian.
I disagree that Jane’s final actions result from the harsh treatment during her disease. It is because she clearly describes long-term issues in their relationship that could motivate her to seek liberation. John used to diminish her right to decide for herself by laughing at her, telling her what to focus on, thinking that her suffering had to make sense, and ignoring her preferences (Gilman, 2021). Therefore, the protagonist’s mental journey is understandable, and her confinement maximizes the already existing need for independence.
References
Gilman, C. P. (2021). The Project Gutenberg e-book of The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Project Gutenberg.
Gilman, C. P. (n.d.). Why I wrote the Yellow Wallpaper? The National Library of Medicine.