The Yellow Wallpaper

First published in 1892, The Yellow Wallpaper is a groundbreaking feminist short story that delves into themes of mental health, autonomy, and gender roles. Narrated through journal entries, the story follows a woman subjected to a “rest cure” by her physician husband after childbirth. Confined to an upstairs room with disturbing yellow wallpaper, she becomes obsessed with its patterns, leading to a harrowing psychological unraveling. Both a chilling work of gothic fiction and a sharp social commentary, Gilman’s story remains one of the most studied and influential pieces of feminist literature.