“I guess John has never been nervous in his life. He’s making fun of me about this wallpaper”(). This quote perfectly sums up the entire story and the time period in which it was written. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, was a woman who served as a role model for women. “Yellow Wallpaper” is his famous masterpiece. To write this short story, she was inspired by her postpartum depression that she had to overcome. The story of The Yellow Wallpaper reflects the period when men dominated women and truly believed that women were nothing more than an emotionally fragile thing that they could show off to the world. The story defines the traditional role of the 1800s through the perspective of a male-dominated marriage. From the beginning of the story, the theme of male domination is addressed. While it's equally painful to realize that this is still happening in the 21st century, it gives this work a timeless quality, both unfortunate and insightful. The transparent level of disrespect John shows the narrator about his level of metal is horrifying and frustrating to the point where John seems to absolutely misunderstand marriage, let alone any type of relationship with a woman. The next line opens her eyes to the reality of the narrator's environment and also to her own belief that she is not on the same level as her husband. The narrator says, “John laughs at me, of course, but that’s expected in marriage” (9). “Even the name John itself is male-dominant” (Ford 5). The name owes its popularity to two characters from the New Testament, both very reserved saints. The name John also originated with 21 popes and eight Byzantine emperors, giving it a very higher meaning. The fact that he is a doctor and the main source of his illness because... middle of paper...... often carries the fear of an imposing quality: just like a man towards a woman. Finally, the mansion in which the narrator resides is isolated and alone, symbolizing the isolation of women in the 18th century. The narrator states: "Sometimes I think there are a lot of women behind [the wallpaper]", I don't like it. don't even look out the window - there are so many of these crawling women... I wonder if they all come out of this wallpaper like me? Women's struggle for freedom. The Yellow Wallpaper tells the story of all women oppressed by men, the isolation they feel isolated in, and the freedom they all struggle to achieve. Works Cited Evans, Deborah "Charlotte Perkins Gilman: Overview." Feminist writers. Ed. Pamela Kester-Shelton Detroit: St. James Press, 1996. Literary Resource Center.. 2014.