Her husband, “a physician of high standing,” is convinced that it’s her imagination to blame for her condition. The narrator, a female writer in the patriarchal setting of the late 19th century, is denied access to any means of creative outlet. The theme of self-expression is prevailing in The Yellow Wallpaper. Her artistic nature craves expression, and the wallpaper offers a great excuse to do so. The narrator, banned from working, finds an excellent cause to practice her writing skills. The wallpaper is spared no epithets of the utmost colorful masterfulness. It’s especially understandable given the fact that the narrator is forced to spend all her free time in the room with the walls covered by the source of the distress. It is so atrocious in its design, that it’s impossible to put the matter aside. The artistic nature of the narrator leaves her no chance of abstracting her mind from the wallpaper. Ugly things have more expressive power than beautiful ones. The unfortunate circumstance is that the wallpaper is so visually unpleasant. Deprived of any way to let her creative juices flow, the narrator focuses on the object that draws the most attention in the house. This quote introduces the central focus of the story – the image of the yellow wallpaper. One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin… The color is repellant, almost revolting a smouldering, unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight.” The Yellow Wallpaper, entry 1

📑 The Yellow Wallpaper: Important Quotes Explained The Yellow Wallpaper: Quote #1

In the yellow wallpaper