Named or Unnamed Narrator
Throughout the entire story the narrator’s name is unknown. The other characters, Jennie and John, do not refer to the narrator by her name. This has caused controversy on why Stetson would leave the narrator unnamed. The name of the narrator is stated in the end of the story when the narrator finally becomes released from her oppression after she has finally ripped off all of the wallpaper. The narrator believes that the woman in the wallpaper is herself being trapped in the house. When she pulls the wallpaper off the wall she relieves herself from her own life and becomes mentally unstable. In the end of the story the narrator says, “I’ve got out at last in spite of you and Jane? And I’ve pulled most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!” (Stetson 656). This is said when she has “been set free” however her mental stability is not well at this point.
Many question whether Jane is the narrator or a misspelling of Jennie. This is questioned because the narrator yells at her husband that she is finally free despite what he and “Jane” wanted. However, many consider that the narrator is talking about herself. The version of herself that wanted to please her husband was also holding her back. It is said that the reason that the narrator is unnamed is because it represents the lack of identity the woman is struggling with (“The Yellow Wallpaper” 3). This is why the narrator goes unnamed until the very last paragraphs of the story.
Not naming the narrator until the end of the story is how Stetson portrays the oppression of woman during the 1800s. Naming the narrator would allow the narrator to be an individual, and Stetson was trying to demonstrate how women of that time period were oppressed and not allowed to be an individual.
Many question whether Jane is the narrator or a misspelling of Jennie. This is questioned because the narrator yells at her husband that she is finally free despite what he and “Jane” wanted. However, many consider that the narrator is talking about herself. The version of herself that wanted to please her husband was also holding her back. It is said that the reason that the narrator is unnamed is because it represents the lack of identity the woman is struggling with (“The Yellow Wallpaper” 3). This is why the narrator goes unnamed until the very last paragraphs of the story.
Not naming the narrator until the end of the story is how Stetson portrays the oppression of woman during the 1800s. Naming the narrator would allow the narrator to be an individual, and Stetson was trying to demonstrate how women of that time period were oppressed and not allowed to be an individual.