I read this book back in high school and loved it from the get go. I remember when I had it on my book list and mum spoke about how my brother had studied it a few years earlier and they both thought it was stupid. Mums words were "she just goes crazy looking at wallpaper…so stupid" 😅
I loved it and I still do. It's obviously a LOT deeper than my mum gave it credit for (I've advised her to re-read it now, 20 years later!) I really want to do a full analysis here but I'm honestly in bed depressed so I don't feel up to it. I just want to talk about books and not on all the other garbage online that gets me even more low lol.
So I'm curious to hear how others first read of The Yellow Wallpaper went?
I read it at 16 and I have read it a fair few times since over the years. When I first read it, I was already diagnosed with depression so I could certainly relate to that aspect and I understood that the lady in the wallpaper was a representation of how trapped she was feeling. I found it both fascinating and profoundly – she was clearly misunderstood by the people around her and couldn't make herself heard.
I probably didn't so much see the feminism angle both socially and medically until I was older but I was surprised that some, including my mum lol, could see it so shallowly. At school we went into the mental health aspect a bit but the issue of feminism wasn't discussed. This was in 2006 for context!
agh, I can't voice myself too well at the moment. How did others find it? Have you read any of her other works? I see she has written a lot on feminism! I recently read Herland which was an interesting read – didn't love it but liked it and will read more of her work.
by FeeOk6338