The major themes of the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” are the subordination of women within the institution of marriage and the consequences of the rest cure.
Gilman demonstrates how confining women to domestic chores and not taking their opinions seriously stunted their intellectual development. The men believed they had superiority in wisdom and maturity and felt the need to protect their women. John, the narrator’s husband, is a doctor who doesn’t take the narrator seriously:
John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage.
John is practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things not to be felt and seen and put down in figures.
John is a physician, and perhaps—(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)—perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster.
You see he does not believe I am sick!
And what can one do?
The story also highlights the ill effects of the controversial rest cure, which was largely used for people suffering from mental illnesses at the time. While the narrator does not agree with the idea of the rest cure, she is powerless to object.
So I take phosphates or phosphites—whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to "work" until I am well again.
Personally, I disagree with their ideas.
Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.
But what is one to do?
As the story progresses, it demonstrates how the rest cure often resulted in deteriorating mental health and led to insanity:
"What is the matter?" he cried. "For God's sake, what are you doing!"
I kept on creeping just the same, but I looked at him over my shoulder.
"I've got out at last," said I, "in spite of you and Jane. And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back!"
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