Secondly, the structure of the text is also written via diary entries, this specific structure allows for a closer connection to be made with readers especially that of female readers as diary entries shows the inner most thoughts of the main character. This specific structure also suggests the women who lived in the late nineteenth century, the era in which this text was written, had no free will to express themselves. This statement is furthermore emphasised by the diary entries continuously coming to an abrupt end due to John’s arrival, again highlighting the extent of male dominance over women as the protagonist states: ‘There comes John, and I must put this away – he hates to have me write a word.’ Also underlying the amount of control men would have over women in the nineteenth century, not on in a domestic environment.
However, there are other interpretations of this text that do not believe ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ is a feminist text and is instead merely exploring and educating readers on the medical world throughout the nineteenth century. The protagonist clearly states that her husband is in the medical profession, as well as revealing her brother ‘is also a physician’, thus highlighting the hegemony of males within medicine. Charlotte Perkins Gilman is not shown to be representing the medical profession in a positive way as they are shown to belittle the commonly known present day illness: post natal depression, as ‘a slight hysterical tendency’. Post natal depression was not a commonly accepted concept as a mental illness so many doctors purely prescribed absolute rest. The protagonist further goes on to suggest that due to their beliefs of the ‘temporary nervous depression’ that this ‘is one reason I do not get well faster.’
This point is further highlighted by the protagonist’s continuous decrease in mental stability leading to a dramatic downfall. John orders his wife not to ‘work’ which eventually leads to the obsession with the ‘smouldering unclean yellow’ wallpaper, which eventually reveals to be a metaphor for the main character being ‘trapped’ in a controlling marriage and is desperately trying to overpower the domestic role society expected from women. By the end of the text the protagonist confesses how she is ‘a little afraid of John’ and as a result her mental stability rapidly decreased. The female character’s decline in mental health can be seen to directly link to the orders of husband and brother, whom are both involved in the medical world, thus implying the main point of the text was to express Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s utter disagreement with some advice given by the medical authority.
In contrast to this, due to the continuous dark imagery used to describe the surroundings in the text, there are some views of ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ that believe it is purely a gothic styled piece of literature. There are many points throughout the text that would lead people to interpret ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ as a more mysterious story. This is due to the repetition of the word ‘creep’ used to describe people’s mannerisms, as this particular word has connotations of secrecy and obscurity as well as adding a dark tone to the writing. The setting is also described to readers using mysterious imagery, such as the protagonist suggesting she has moved into a ‘haunted house’ possibly foreshadowing the events that occur later on within the text, as well as implying there is something ‘queer’ about the house also giving connotations of the curiosity hidden within the ‘untenanted’ house. All these reasons would therefore lead to people interpreting the text as a gothic story with a dark tone to the writing throughout the text.
In conclusion therefore, there are many reasons as to why people would interpret ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ as a feminist text and agree with the statement said by Marina Banks. This is mainly due to the continuous remembrance to how women were poorly treated in the late nineteenth century. Particularly focusing on the constant struggle women would face to find a sense of self and not stick to the stereotypical role society would expect from them in both a domestic and general environment. Although other may interpret the text as portraying a negative view on the medical ideals as that subsequently becomes the protagonist’s main downfall. However, due to the gothic themes shown throughout the text, it can be thought that the text is merely a dark story with fatal ending, rather than having a message written within it.