“Yellow Wallpaper” focuses heavily on the gender roles that are represented by various symbols in the story. The most active symbol is the yellow wallpaper inside the room in which the narrator resides. Through the symbolism of wallpaper and other various objects that will be discussed, Charlotte Perkins Gilman illustrates the oppression that women suffer from dominating men. This can be observed at the beginning of the story when the narrator says, "John is laughing at me, of course, but that's expected... Personally, I don't agree with their ideas... But what can I do?" (345). Women were not only oppressed by their male acquaintances and the general male public, but also by their own husbands. Over time, the wallpaper shows the narrator's self-expression through entrapment. The results of men's common oppression of women correlate with the progression of the narrator's mental state in Gilman's story. As the narrator's perception of the wallpaper develops, so does Gilman's perception of how oppressed women might react to men and society. The woman fights this oppression in the entirety of the story, which can be seen as she becomes overly preoccupied and angered by the faded past. yellow wallpaper in his room. The narrator describes the house she is staying in for the summer as beautiful and with wonderful surroundings. However, she says: “I will nevertheless proudly declare that there is something strange about it. » (345). She is confined to the room for an unhealthy amount of time, which is also a factor in her corroding mental state. She convinces herself not only that the wallpaper is moving, but also that a woman is stuck behind it trying to find her way. At the end of the story, a nervous breakdown ensues. She says... middle of paper......ugh, he doesn't even exist, saying once and for all that he can no longer stop the journey of his life. Through symbols and similes, Charlotte Perkins Gilman and her critics showed women's struggles for equality with their male counterparts. And it's now clear that humans can easily become trapped in their lives and, often, they won't even realize it until it's too late. In The Yellow Wallpaper, it is very evident that the unnamed main character and her husband, John, have difficulty recognizing or admitting the need for this equality and opportunity. Ms. Gilman shows the opposite end of the spectrum and what will happen if this seething pot tips over without warning. Everyone ends up getting hurt. Just like women are supposed to submit to men, men should also be willing to compromise, otherwise what happened in this story will happen figuratively..