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Analyzing “The Yellow Wallpaper” Through Imagery and Metaphors
A Formalist View
The formalist way of dissecting the text of the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman tells us to take only the text into account and not the life of the author, or the historical time period and what was going on in the world at the time the text was written. When we look at the text of this story, we see that it is written in first person narrative. The sentences are short and to the point with little explanation. Most of the sentences are bland, boring and depressing. There is no flare or excitement. This type of writing gives the story a depressing aspect and tone. This represents the reality that the main character is depressed and bored.
The use of imagery
The formalist will notice the use of imagery in a text. We see imagery in this story in the idea that there is a woman trapped in the wallpaper just as the main character is trapped in the room. We can apply the idea of the main character peeling back the wallpaper to set free the woman, just as the main character needs to be set free from her depression. We also read where the setting of the story is. The text tells us that they are in a colonial mansion that appears to be haunted. It is queer, but it is beautiful. The main character feels the eeriness and…
