Irony Of Self-Actualization In Charlotte Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper

Written during a time period where the subordination of women was a popular practice, “The Yellow Wallpaper” illustrates the irony of self-actualization. In order to do so, the author, Charlotte Gilman, uses a variety of symbols to bring attention to the effects of female submission. The narrator of the story, oppressed by the domesticated role cast by the male-dominated society, focuses her attention towards the peculiar wallpaper as a means of expressing her imagination. As a result of the suppression, the narrator’s mind creates illusions that eventually reveal the reality of her being. The narrator claims that the woman imprisoned in the wallpaper is "subdued, quiet" (485) during the day and active under the light of the moon. Gilman