The Yellow Wall-Paper
First published in January 1892, what this story lacks in length it makes up for with creepiness.
“A woman suffering from debilitating postpartum depression is put in seclusion in an attic room to recover. However, the longer she stays, the more she becomes aware of another haunting presence residing in the yellow wallpaper.”
The last time my wife wasn’t feeling so great, I too locked her in the attic of the house to stare at the terrible wallpaper as I knew that would be the only way to heal her mental health.
Wrong.
I would end up the focus of a true crime podcast episode if that ever happened.
The Yellow Wall-Paper is told from the perspective of a woman whose husband, a doctor, rents a mansion for the summer and "places" her in the upstairs nursery. Just like this election cycle coming up, we get to witness the gradual descent into madness.
The woman is apparently forbidden to journal, but does so anyway. It shouldn't come as a shock that her mental health declines given all she has left to do with her time is stare at the terrible wallpaper in the room she is confined to. It reminds me of people who watch CNN and Fox all day long. At some point, the brain will break.
The language and writing style is fascinating to me, as are the few illustrations I found in the copy of the book I was able to download. I say "book" and that is how it is listed on Goodreads, but this really is a short story and I feel guilty getting one more book under my belt by marking it read. But that reading goal won't happen if I don't work hard at it. Last year I should have tried reading 40 short stories and my goal would have been through the roof.
Written in 1892, I am hoping that it is obvious that this is the total opposite of how postpartum depression should be treated. Many modern reviews claim this story is about how men dominated the medical profession at the time.
I have also seen it labeled as women speaking out when they were not listened to, though holding valuable opinions. The woman states in the story what she believes will help but is ignored.
I can get behind both statements and see the book working toward both ends. Whether or not the woman is freed is still up for debate. Some say she wins, others say no, that she loses. Regardless of which side of the fence you land on, you are left with a truly haunting story. The proof of its power is that 130 years later some middle-aged fart stumbled across it and was moved enough to write an entire article about it. I could only dream of having my work last that long.
Need More Visuals?
There have been several adaptations of the story into short films and even a full-length movie. Full disclosure here: I have not watched the full-length version and wonder how the few pages of the story could be converted into a movie that long.
The Yellow Wallpaper
The Yellow Wallpaper (2011) Short Film
The Yellow Wallpaper | Full Horror Documentary | Horror Central