The Yellow Paper offered important insight into the lives of 19th-century women. Charlotte describes in a short story how male community members see the difficulties of women from their point of view. The short story clearly shows that Charlotte was trying to highlight some of the problems women had, especially those that were not limited to the marital rules of the day. One of her descriptions of her private life suggests that divorce and separation at the time were not possible, especially from a female perspective. It is presumed that married women obey their husbands in this example. John is against a woman’s right to have her opinion on certain issues without the consent of her husband. John considers an independent woman to be a sign that she is insane.
Numerous issues show how women felt obliged to remain second-class citizens by the end of the 19th century. This narrative’s yellow paper reveals a lot about society’s misinformation about women. The Yellow Paper is a short narration that provides information to the narrator. The Yellow Paper is not prioritized as it presumes that any woman who has such independent opinions may have mental problems. This symbolism is reinforced by the observation of the narrator that Yellow Paper has a woman looking for independence. However, the society doesn’t recognize her because most story characters don’t believe women exist in their world. Perkins 648: The narration emphasizes the misperception by stating, “If one is a well-known physician and one’s spouse convinces one’s family and friends that one is fine with them,” (Perkins 648). A woman who can’t express herself in a way that is understandable to others will be quickly dismissed as lunatic. The yellow paper is a symbol of the feminine unique world many may not understand.
The text reveals that the author has given the authority for the lady narrator to understand a variety of yellow paper problems. It is possible that the author made conscious decisions to ensure the only person who understands the secrets in yellow paper was the female narrator. John, who is an experienced male doctor, can’t understand the contents of the yellow paper. It is absurd. Because it shows that, no matter their social status, women are capable of understanding the most fundamental things in life, including independence. The issue is not about women’s ability to plan their lives, it’s more about how women view their destiny.