“The Yellow Wallpaper” is a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman that was first published in 1892. It is a pivotal work of feminist literature that explores the mental and emotional challenges faced by women in the 19th century.

A short summary of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper. This free synopsis covers all the crucial plot points of The Yellow Wallpaper.

“The Yellow Wallpaper” is an illustration of the way a mind that is already plagued with anxiety can deteriorate and begin to prey on itself when it is forced into inactivity and kept from healthy work.

Important information about Charlotte Perkins Gilman's background, historical events that influenced The Yellow Wallpaper, and the main ideas within the work.

Test your comprehension of “The Yellow Wallpaper” with AP® Literature-style multiple-choice questions in SparkNotes PLUS. From the earliest moments of the story, Gilman lays the groundwork for this central conflict in both her descriptions of John and the estate to which he brings his sick wife.

While the pattern of the nursery wallpaper often takes precedence in discussions of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” its color is no less important when it comes to symbolic value. The color yellow typically carries a positive connotation, evoking feelings of brightness and happiness.

“The Yellow Wallpaper” is a kind of epistolary story, in which the narrator writes to herself. Gilman uses this technique to show the narrator’s descent into madness both subjectively and objectively—that is, from both the inside and the outside.

As “The Yellow Wallpaper” progresses, John and Jennie believe that the narrator’s condition is improving. She often sleeps during the day, and she presents a calmer outward demeanor around others. This appearance, as the reader knows from the narrator’s journal, is merely a front that she puts on for her husband.

The Yellow Wallpaper (SparkNotes Literature Guide) Ace your assignments with our guide to The Yellow Wallpaper!

Explanation of the famous quotes in The Yellow Wallpaper, including all important speeches, comments, quotations, and monologues.