The Yellow Wallpaper: Male Oppression

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is the window in the nursery. In most cases, a window symbolizes a view of hope. In this story though, the window has bars on it, symbolizing imprisonment or oppression.
An additional symbol of the narrator’s oppression is her husband, John. He is considered to be “a physician of high standing” (p.630). This along with the fact that he is her husband makes any opposition from the narrator seemingly impossible. To make matters worse, John treats the narrator not as his wife, but more as a helpless child. The narrator eventually acts childlike when she states, “Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able,- to dress and entertain, and order things” (p.632). This statement suggests that she believes she is helpless and incapable of taking care of herself. John’s constant failure to listen to the narrator’s feelings frustrates her and forces her to obey his command. John’s power over the narrator is illustrated when she says, “at first he meant to repaper ...

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