The Yellow
Wallpaper (YW) is
a
novel written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. This short story consists of
nine pages which are approximately 6000 words. The New England Magazine
was the one who first published The Yellow Wallpaper in January 1892.
This story is such an autobiography of Gilman herself in which tells that she
suffered from neurasthenia. YW is an epistolary novel; story that written in
kind of letter form. In Indonesia, we also have epistolary novel titled Habis
Gelap Terbitlah Terang composed by R.A. Kartini. The story also has been
classified a gothic and horror fiction. Below are the elements of fiction of
this story.
Gilman carried feminism as her theme in this story. Feminism is the belief and aim that women should have the same rights,
power, and opportunities as men. YW illustrated women’s condition in 19th
century, in which they did not have rights as men did. Gilman symbolized women’s
imprisonment as The Yellow Wallpaper itself. Yellow is convinced
representing woman. Additionally, the frame of the wallpaper represents prison.
Through The Yellow Wallpaper, Gilman tried to fight for women in order
to raise women’s degree.
There are six characters in this short story. They are
the narrator, John, Jennie, Henry, Julia and Mary. The first character is the
narrator (anonymous). She is a protagonist character that has main role in this
story. Second character is John as an antagonist who has a conflict to the
protagonist. He is the narrator’s husband. Next character is Jennie. She is
John’s sister which means she is the narrator’s sister-in-law. Then, the fourth
character is Henry. He is John’s cousin. The fifth character is Julia. She is
also John’s cousin. The last character is Mary. Mary is John’s housekeeper and
babysitter. All of the characters belong to round character, because they have
complex character which means that they have only one characteristic.
Six characters that mentioned above have different
characteristics. The narrator is a young wife that suffered from temporary
nervous depression. She becomes gradually insane because of her anxiety.
John, the narrator’s husband, is a physician. Actually, John loves his wife so
much, but he shows his affection in improper way; he is too protective to the
narrator. Jennie (the narrator’s sister-in-law) is one who takes care of the
narrator during her illness. She is an understanding person. Henry and Julia is
John’s cousin. They are not including in this story directly. Mary is one who
responsible either for the narrator and John’s house or their baby. As a
result, characters in this story are dynamic.
