Journal of Language and Literature Studies
Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): March

A Feminist-Psychoanalytic Reading of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper: A Textual Analysis

Addai-Amoah, Anthony Kwarteng (Unknown)
Sebesho, Molebogeng (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
16 Mar 2026

Abstract

This study approaches Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” from a feminist-psychoanalytic perspective, examining how the act of writing serves as a mode of resistance for a woman silenced by patriarchal and medical authority. Through a close textual analysis informed by Freudian psychoanalytic concepts, the paper examines how Gilman constructs a psychological portrait of female confinement and rebellion. The narrator’s descent into madness is interpreted as both a symptom of the patriarchal suppression of female desire and an unconscious revolt against it. Gilman’s use of symbolism—the yellow wallpaper, the barred windows, and the creeping woman- encodes the internalisation of patriarchal control and the protagonist’s struggle to reclaim her identity. The study also examines the gendered power dynamics between the female protagonist and her husband, a physician, situating the story within the broader social and cultural context of nineteenth-century America. In effect, this paper argues that Gilman transforms “The Yellow Wallpaper” [3] into a timeless work of psychological and feminist insight, showing how literature can illuminate the human mind and the structures that shape it.

Copyrights © 2026






Journal Info

Abbrev

jolls

Publisher

Subject

Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Other

Description

Journal of Language and Literature Studies is an open access journal which provides perspectives of languages, language teaching, and literature studies. This journal has the Focus and Scope at presenting and discussing outstanding contemporary issues in line with Applied Linguistics, English ...