The Importance Of Literature In The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

People read for many reasons, some of which are to pass the time, to seek out new experiences, for the sheer pleasure of the language and for the quest of knowledge. Literature is an art, and like art can be very subjective. What one person or society values as good literature may not be looked upon in the same light by another person or society. Some literature transcends time, and will continue to be relevant hundreds of years after it is written, and some literature will be relevant at the time it is written, however later may be largely forgotten. For literature to be considered great it must stand the test of time and be captivating, able to elicit an emotional and/or intellectual response. It should also enlighten and engage the

It can use a poem or a story to get across something that the author wants to share and make people see that in a non confrontational way, thereby becoming a catalyst for social change. The short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is such a story. Upon reading it just as a story, it is a tale about a woman who recently gave birth and is now suffering from nerves and depression. The story takes place in the late 1800’s when women were largely regarded as frail and not capable of making their own decisions, rather their husband or their father would decide what is best for them. The narrator in the “Yellow Wallpaper” is that woman, she is telling the story of her madness as she is confined to a secluded estate and living in a room with old yellow wallpaper. The narrator is a writer who is discouraged from writing while at the estate, her sole reason to be there is to simply rest and take it easy and thus her husband, a physician expects she will then heal from her nervous condition. As she spends a few months mostly cooped up in this room with hideous yellow wallpaper she becomes obsessed

It explores many other themes and it appeals to a large audience due to it’s relatable situations and constant action. Though written hundreds of years ago, its themes are still relevant today. It is truly a work of art, not only in the language used, but in the intellectual nature of the plot itself. It explores themes such as the meaning of life and death. The famous To Be Or Not To Be soliloquy which Hamlet speaks explores the subject of suicide and the existence or the non existence of the afterlife . This is a most powerful speech and still today it is recited and quoted from. Hamlet as a drama is truly one of the most memorable works of literature that has stood the test of time and keeps on captivating new audiences year after