A Psychoanalytic Study of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper

Abstract

This study investigates the psychoanalytic effect of the main character in the short story of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper which specifically delves into the plot, symbols, and conflicts. The study's data is obtained based on two theories: Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality and Carl Jung's Archetypal Theory, both of which are concerned with the narrator's psychoanalytic behavior and the circumstances that influence her mental activity. Moreover, this research is qualitative in nature, employing discourse analysis to thoroughly examine the literary work. The study's findings suggest that the plot clearly demonstrates the psychoanalytic effect of the main character, which includes postpartum depression, unfree, mental health and life, dangerous hallucination, and recovery. Symbolism shows that postpartum depression, courageous, uncomfortable and oppressed, relieves the main character’s mind, and guilt. The conflict depicts the narrator's psychoanalytic effect, which includes insanity, depression, stress, suppression, and dejection. In a conclusive thought, The Yellow Wallpaper reveals the main character’s psychoanalytic effect.