The Yellow Wallpaper's Short Story and the Movie ANALYSIS

• The Comparison between the Short Story and the Movie

  
  

• Reader's Response Analysis

  
  

• Feminist Analysis

 (Diagram 1, Alexandra,(“The Yellow Wallpaper (2021)” )

The short story and movie of The Yellow Wallpaper will be analyzed by comparing readers’ responses and feminist perspectives. To a large extent, the author’s background and social effects play an essential role in the development of the plot as well as the theme and ideological content. The similarity between the short story and the movie is that they both show the mental faculties of the narrator through various settings. However, compared with the short story, the psychological language of the main characters is expressed from different points of view in the film, which is too abstract and confusing for audiences to understand the main plot.

First, it is worth noting that both the short story and the film convey the characters’ psychological states through the change and description of scenes, enriching the storyline and uncovering the essence of this brief narrative. (“The Yellow Wallpaper Character Analysis | LitCharts”)

One similarity between “The Yellow Wallpaper” short story and the film is that they both effectively portray the protagonist's psychological changes in relation to the setting.

Quote 1

I am sitting by the window now, up in this atrocious nursery, and there is nothing to hinder my writing as much as I please, save lack of strength. (Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper)

Remarkably, John had arranged “me” in the original nursery, which may still regard “me” as a child without self-thought. Besides, readers can imagine a bit creepy yet cosy space. However, as the protagonist's thoughts deepen, the surroundings begin to take on a more sinister tone, reflecting the narrator's feelings of being trapped in her life and by her circumstances. (“The Yellow Wallpaper Setting Analysis: [Essay Example], 880 Words”)

Similarly, the film presents a variety of innovative environmental changes that effectively illuminate the heroine’s psychological state.

Quote 2

[low pulsing music, anxious electronic music, birds whistling]

-They’re beautiful, aren’t they? I had another vivid dream. I’m lying on the ground, tangled in these vines. They wrap around me in all sorts of terrible ways. Poking me and prodding me. They get tighter and tighter until they pull me down into the dirt.

(“The Yellow Wallpaper (2021) Movie Script | SS”)

According to the analysis from Beneath, even though it doesn't follow the conventional horror style, lacking the usual signs of jump-scares or eerie shadows, the film's cinematography beautifully captures that shift in a rather poetic manner. (Beneath)

Therefore, it is obvious that the change of scenery is a crucial tool in short stories and films to convey the psychological transformation of the heroine, which is not only the depth of feminist thought but also the analysis of women's own situations.

(Diagram 2, Clara Harte, Alexandra,(“The Yellow Wallpaper (2021)” )

However, the short story and the film have significant differences due to their different perspectives and some abstract camera techniques in the film. In the short story, this is a diary from the first perspective of the heroine, so the reader can intuitively understand the heroine's thoughts and changes.

Quote 3

I sometimes fancy that in my condition, if I had less opposition and more society and stimulus – but John says the very worst thing I can do is to think about my condition, and I confess it always makes me feel bad. (Charlotte Perkins Gilman, The Yellow Wallpaper)

In the first-person diary, the distinction between the heroine's internal thoughts and emotions and the external dialogue of others is presented with clarity. The benefit of employing the first-person perspective in the short story is that readers connect emotionally with the narrators as they experience the unfolding events. This connection enhances their grasp of the plot and the language used. (“Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: Point of View - 1082 Words | Essay Example”)

(Diagram 3, Alexandra Loreth, "The Yellow Wallpaper (2021)”)

Nonetheless, due to the angle of view in the film, the director and actors must portray the psychological thoughts of various characters through illusory light and shadow, creating a certain level of confusion for the audience.

Quote 4

-This paper looks to me as if it knew what a vicious influence it had. It makes me so tired and scares me for some reason.

…

[John] Shh. It’s all right.

-It’s not all right. This room is so foreboding. Can you feel it? It just saps all my energy. You know, this place is doing you really well. (“The Yellow Wallpaper (2021) Movie Script | SS”)

Unconventional camera perspectives are employed in the bedroom to evoke a sense of unease, while rapid editing heightens the tension towards the film's conclusion. The wallpaper’s reflection casts an unhealthy, pallid appearance on Jane whenever she’s in the bedroom. These elements contribute to a sense of confinement and a descent into madness. (Magalhães)

The analysis revealed that the differences between the short story and the film are due to stylistic characteristics. These differences create similarities between the two works while highlighting their unique features.

Furthermore, interesting insights were gained by evaluating the short story and film based on readers' responses. Part of the enjoyment comes from how readers relate the plot to their life experiences and assess the work based on their genuine feelings. According to Arkhagha and Arkhagha, one can understand the heroine's obsession with the yellow wallpaper as her thoughts deepen when she distances herself from the negative aspects of her relationship by associating them with her surroundings. Compared to the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper," the reader's responses to the movie are more controversial. The film relies heavily on imagery and sound elements, which evoke an immediate and powerful response, highlighting the oppressive atmosphere and the protagonist's internal conflict. (Arkhagha and Arkhagha)

From the perspective of feminism, a common interpretation of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is to view the events depicted as metaphorical. The wallpaper serves as a final refuge for a woman grappling with postpartum depression and the suffocating monotony of the “rest cure”, which is an experience that Perkins Gilman herself faced after her daughter's birth. The figure in the wallpaper symbolizes the narrator’s repressed anger, which erupts into vivid madness. However, there remains an unsettling quality to the narrative—a persistent discomfort that defies easy explanation. This may stem from the sinister nature of the wallpaper itself, characterized by “outrageous angles” that “collapse into unheard contradictions.”(“Feminist Criticism, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’ and the Politics of Color in America on JSTOR”)

  (Diagram 3, Alexandra Loreth, The Yellow Wallpaper)

In conclusion, I reiterate my thesis regarding the similarities and differences between the short story and the movie adaptation of "The Yellow Wallpaper," as well as the analysis from both reader responses and a feminist perspective.

There is a significant gap between literature and visual art, reflected in their differing descriptions and the various angles and structural elements used to convey a similar core theme: the feminist perspective on a woman's mental liberation from confinement. Furthermore, reader comments on "The Yellow Wallpaper" enhance the understanding of both works, connecting them to their daily experiences.

Work Cited

1. “a Reader Response Critique of the Yellow Wallpaper” | Teen Ink. www.teenink.com/nonfiction/academic/article/380300/A-reader-response-critique-of-The-Yellow-Wallpaper.

2. Beneath, What Sleeps. “Cinequest 2021 Review - the Yellow Wallpaper Film.” What Sleeps Beneath, 21 Apr. 2024, www.whatsleepsbeneath.com/archive/the-yellow-wallpaper-film-review.

3. “Charlotte Perkins Gilman – the Yellow Wallpaper.” Genius, genius.com/Charlotte-perkins-gilman-the-yellow-wallpaper-annotated.

GradesFixer, 5 Mar. 2024, gradesfixer.com/free-essay-examples/the-yellow-wallpaper-setting-analysis.

4. “Gilman’s ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’: Point of View - 1082 Words | Essay Example.” IvyPanda, 31 May 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/the-yellow-wallpaper-by-charlotte-perkins-gilman-2.

5. Lanser, Susan S. “Feminist Criticism, ‘The Yellow Wallpaper,’ and the Politics of Color in America.” Feminist Studies, vol. 15, no. 3, 1989, pp. 415–41. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3177938. Accessed 16 Nov. 2024.

6. Magalhães, Letícia. “The Yellow Wallpaper (2021): Adapting a Classic - Cine Suffragette - Medium.” Medium, 1 May 2022, medium.com/cinesuffragette/the-yellow-wallpaper-2021-adapting-a-classic-d0894004ec80.

7.“The Yellow Wallpaper Character Analysis | LitCharts.” LitCharts, www.litcharts.com/lit/the-yellow-wallpaper/characters.

8. “The Yellow Wallpaper Setting Analysis: [Essay Example], 880 Words.”

9.“The Yellow Wallpaper (2021) Movie Script | SS.” Springfield! Springfield!, www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/movie_script.php?movie=the-yellow-wallpaper.