The novel’s narrator undergoes a mental change that leads her to the revelation about freedom. She fixates on the wallpaper and projects her issues onto this symbol. So, the more the character obsesses over it, the more the meaning of the yellow paper and the creeping woman change.
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The Yellow Wallpaper is a story about a woman in an abusive marriage. The protagonist’s husband confines her to the premises of the home. She lives with physical and mental restrictions. Her mind becomes unstable and depressed. The main character starts to fixate on the yellow wallpaper. It becomes vital in her life as she uncovers more of its meaning.
At the start of the book, the character stares at a peculiar pattern. As the story progresses, she starts seeing a creeping female behind the design. The protagonist doesn’t like her at first, but the meaning of “creeping” changes. She sees herself as this sad woman imprisoned by the walls and creeping on other people’s lives.
At the start of the obsession with the wallpaper, the word “yellow” represents the character’s mental illness. The connotation changes as the woman becomes more obsessed with the wallpaper. She begins to identify with the female imprisoned by the walls. The woman starts to define “yellow” as a color of confinement and domination of her husband. The words’ meaning changes along with the ill protagonist’s state of mind. It leads the character to the revelation about her imprisonment.