It becomes evident from the title of the book that the wallpaper will be a central symbol in the plot. The narrator spends much time describing the color and patterns of it. When she notices the woman trapped in the wallpaper she identifies herself being closed in the room. The relationship between the narrator and the woman in the wallpaper becomes closer till the end. The climax is reached when these two characters unite in one, and the narrator starts talking as if having escaped from the wallpaper. It shows that this woman is a symbol of all the women whose voice was is heard in the society and families. They want to be free, but prejudice limits their actions and even thoughts.
Woman in the wallpaper in the Essays
Author: Shelly Austin