Character List and Analysis
Read an indepth analysis of the Narrator
An upper middle class woman, recently a mother, who seems to be suffering from post-partum depression. One line from the tale’s conclusion suggests that her name is Jane, although there is some dispute among scholars… read analysis of The Narrator
John
The narrator’s husband. He is a physician of high standing, and becomes doctor to his wife. He is extremely practical, rejects superstition, and is interested only in physical facts. This leads him to dismiss his… read analysis of John
Minor Characters
Jennie
Jennie is John’s sister, who acts as housekeeper in their summer home, and also seems to serve as a caretaker to the narrator. She is described as enthusiastic in her duties, and worried for the well-being of her sister-in-law.
Mary
The nanny, who takes care of the couple’s baby.
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's controversial and disturbing feminist parable "The Yellow Wallpaper" concerns a 19th-century woman who, having been diagnosed with a "nervous condition," is taken by her husband to a remote estate for a rest cure. She is confined to a room on the top floor, supposedly to give her time to recover. However, her confinement isn't voluntary and the former nursery begins to take on a life of its own in her mind.
She begins finding patterns in its yellow wallpaper and eventually becomes convinced that a woman is trapped behind it, later identifying as the woman herself. This unsettling psychological investigation reveals the repressive and chauvinistic views that defined women’s mental health care up until relatively recently.
