Book –The Yellow wallpaper and selecting writings

Book –The Yellow wallpaper and selecting writings

Author:Charlotte Perkins Gilman 
(Introduced by Maggie O'Farrell)

Score: 8/10
Year: 1890-1915 (original short stories) ; 2009 (this paperback edition) 

Publisher:Virago

ISBN: 9781844085583

Pages : (vii-xii)+366

This book is comprised of both nonfiction and fiction, with a majority of fiction, where Gilman's short stories are partially based on her observations and even her own experiences, turned into fictional accounts, characters and stories. There are 20 of these, with recurrent feminist themes in the first-wave feminism, where women characters are faced with difficulties and/or unhappiness, and have to either learn to live with these conditions as a societal comment against male domination, or women who set the mark by showing their resolve and creating better situations for themselves, and sometimes also improve their relationships with their husbands in the process. 


As often, I suggest reading Maggie O'Farrell's introduction (pages vii-xii) after reading the short stories, possibly also after the autobiography portion (as I did). Indeed, she recounts how the story influenced her when she first read at 16, but also telling the gist of the story and some of Charlotte's life, though in much more condensed fashion as to be expected of an introduction.

Let's see the table  of contents:

Introduction by Maggie O'Farrell (vii-xii )

Stories initially published between 1890 and 1915, as follows : 
The Yellow Wallpaper, and The Unexpected (1890), starting pages 3 and 24, 
The Giant Wistaria, and An Extinct Angel (1891), pages 33 and 44, 
The Rocking-Chair, and Deserted (1893), pages 48 and 62
An Unnatural Mother (1895), page 67, 
Three Thanksgivings (1909), page 97, 
The Cottagette, and When I Was a Witch (1911), pages 19 and 123, 
An Honest Woman, and Turned (1912), pages 162 and 173, 
Bee Wise (1913), page 186, 
Fulfilment, If I Were a Man, and Mr Peeble's Heart (1914), pages 197, 209, and 218
Mrs Merrill's Duties (1915), pages 229-239. 

Selections from the author's autobiography, "the Living of Charlotte Perkins Gilman'' (1935), pages 241 to 366 

Let's talk about the stories :

As stated above, the stories contain feminist and social comments, starting with the story The Yellow Wallpaper, based on her own experiences with depression. It's a tale of an ill woman, whose husband is a doctor  who prescribed her the "rest cure", prevalent at the time. The narrator describes her husband's infantalizing her and how the room in which she is bedridden on this rest cure suffocates her and drives her to the brink of insanity. I loved the somewhat supernatural twist, which is the symbol of her depression. This is possibly the strongest of the stories in this collection, but all the others also raise feminist topics, where women often have to self empower and show society, through their husbands, their various capacities, thus no story is identical and the solutions, though often show similar tendencies, are also somewhat varied. 

The Giant Wistaria and The Rocking-Chair have some more morbid aspects, but also interesting tales, one with a giant tree outside the window, and a secret hidden by the family living there, where the Rocking-Chair sees two friends grow into enemies.

An Extinct Angel is a direct metaphor for women at large, whereas Bee Wise and When I Was a Witch are stories that represent  ideals that women should be able to reach, either through cooperation and self empowerment for the greater good, or that story where a woman had temporary powers which she used, but when it came to her wish to improve women's condition,  the magic ended... much like the falling of an Angel described in the aforementioned and relevant story. 

If I Were a Man sees Mollie Mathewson wishing and subconsoucily becoming her husband, imagining what would be different if she were a man, in a rather daring cross-gendered view and assimilation of mode of thinking, feeling and interacting. 

Fulfilment, Mr Peeble's Heart, and Mrs Merrill's Duties are stories that have for a main theme the subject of women, their societal roles and what achievements can best reward them in their own views, juxtaposing a mother and housekeeper to her sister who chose a career and busy life in Fulfilment , a woman doctor who helps improve her sister's and brother-in-law's relationship in Mr Peeble's Heart, and a mentor pushing a middle-aged woman to realize her scientific potentials after she'd already fulfilled her self-appointed familial obligations in Mrs Merrill's Duties. 

  The writing style for all 20 short stories is fluid and fast paced, with little repetition in wording, with just a few exceptions.The author always introduced the characters and topics gradually and yet, straight to the point. Although thematic, these stories are all different from one another, and Charlotte Perkins-Gilman uses a unique voice as an author, and also gives individual voices to the characters. I really like that they're not always naïve and young but that quite a few are middle-aged and sometimes older.


Overall, I loved all stories, with varying degrees of appreciation. The medium score for the daring and different nature of these stories for this period : 9/10. 

And now, to the latter portion of the book, the bio part:

The Selections from the author's autobiography, "The Living of Charlotte Perkins Gilman'' (1935) are written in less eloquent style, often confusing in successions of names and dates, and at times feel rather dry, especially in the exerts from the first two chapters, which are also tough for me to read due to some specific content, involving Charlotte's memories of her childhood and several animals being killed during those events.

As you'll notice from the mini-table bellow, her autobiography is thematic instead of linear story of her life, which is both original but can also be jarring as to finding sequence of events.  

Some portions are interesting and shed light on her breakdown, which inspired her writing The Yellow Wallpaper short story, and we can also better understand why most of her writings is in this short story form, and why she didn't write as many novel/book length material as she would have been able prior to her breakdown, which had left her usually exhausted and unable to concentrate and had difficulties in memorizing. 

I find the overall to be interesting, her feminism and her ideas for parenting were also progressive, despite a couple cringy elements.

The portions of her biography's chapter 9 (pages 317-333) are those which recount the history and reception of The Yellow Wallpaper short story and would thus be the most interesting segment to read to complete the overall view of it. 

Mini-table of content for this bio portion, in terms of autobiography chapter, title, and in which page numbers they appear in this current book :
1, background, 243, 
2, beginnings, 252, 
4, building a religion, 265,
5, girlhood, if any, 273, 
6, power and glory, 280,
7, love and marriage, 293 (which is about her first marriage), 
8, the breakdown, 301, 
9, Pasadena, 317, 
11, motherhood, 335,
17, over the top, 346,
21, the last ten, 363-366

As some portions are dry, giving too much or too little information and the thematic nature where Charlotte seemed to presume her readers would know who's who and thus, remaining sometimes vague, I find that the bio isn't the easiest or pleasantest reading. 
As we get only portions in this current book, we lack an overall view, and the choices didn't show her flaws (such as her racism), so, I'm forced to give this selection only a medium 5/10.

On final thoughts : I wish the book had been only fiction, and to let readers get the bio, instead of mixing both fiction and chosen portions of her life. 

Book overall score: 8/10.