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The Yellow Wallpaper Symbolism

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The color yellow; in nature it is the color of flowers, sun, some birds, and so much more. It is a happy color to most people. However, that is not the case in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Yellow is a color that is despised at first by the main character, but is an important symbol in the story. It is no coincidence that the author uses the color yellow in her symbolic story. In "The Yellow Wallpaper", "The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight."(239). The main character hates the color. The color yellow is part of what made her go crazy. She cannot get over how horrible the color is. "Yellow is the color of caution and physical illness."(Morton). …show more content…
Charlotte was put on bed rest like the main character was. Charlotte was "prescribed complete rest and isolation"(238). A treatment like that would make any sane person go crazy, much less one who is already ill. She had the same physical illness that the main character had, and they both had a child. The short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" was based off of the author's life. The reason she wrote the story was to warn others about the treatments for nervous illnesses. She did not want others to end up like her. The color yellow symbolizes action, and that is what this story does. It takes action and tells others about what happened to her. The story tried to warn others so that they do not end up like her. The symbolism of the color yellow in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is significant. It connects to the story and the author's life. "Yellow is the color of caution and physical illness."(Morton). It is no surprise that the main character has a physical illness that was not usually treated back in the day. Charlotte had the same illness as the main character. The connections between the main character and the author are endless. With the connections to both her life and the main character's life, it is no coincidence that she uses the color yellow throughout her symbolic

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