Analysis of the Awakening of the Heroine’s Female Consciousness in the Yellow Wallpaper

Abstract

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper tells a story of the heroine who, due to postpartum depression, is sent by her husband to a remote country house to receive “rest cure”, during which the heroine is forbidden to engage in all activities, but she constantly resists and eventually goes insane. This thesis first analyzes the process of the awakening of the heroine’s female consciousness from three aspects: writing secretly, discovering the shadow and ripping the wallpaper. In addition, through the analysis of both internal factors and external factors this thesis aims to explore the causes of her awakening: the rebelliousness, curiousness and kindness in the heroine’s character make her learn to fight against the patriarchy in the face of oppression and eventually discover the secret behind the wallpaper; restraints of the autocratic family, constraints of the patriarchal society and influences of the irritating surroundings prevent the heroine from doing the work she prefers, leaving the woman as a subordinate to her husband. All of these factors push the heroine to get rid of the oppression of patriarchy on women, so as to gain spiritual independence and freedom.