Blog 2 - Narrators Make a Difference

The narrator of a story can make a difference. There are times an author tells a story from the outside. This is a point of view from the outside which sees the whole picture. There are also times when a story is told from a character in the story. These stories are told only through that character’s point of view. For example, the story of “The Yellow Wallpaper”. This narrator happened to have mental problems, which causes one to believe that her side of the story is inaccurate. She saw and believed things that were different from others because of her condition. 

This narrator was thought to have “temporary nervous depression-a slight hysterical tendency” (Gilman, 565) in the beginning of the story. Throughout the story her condition got worse over time. The narrator only told what was in her head instead of what reality was. Throughout the story she also stated that her point of view was different from others. In the beginning she said, “Personally, I disagree with their ideas.” (Gilman, 565) about her condition. The fact that she did not agree with others is a sign that she is an unreliable source.  

There were certain things that she said that lead to her be unreliable. “I take pains to control myself” (Gilman, 566). If the narrator had difficulty controlling herself, then she was possibly unable to control her thoughts, words, or actions at all. “I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time.” (Gilman, 568) As the story went on the narrator appeared to be changing from depressed to possibly delusional. 

The point in the story that showed when the narrator was getting worse and completely unreliable was when she fixated on the yellow wallpaper and became obsessed. “There are things in that wallpaper that nobody knows about but me, or ever will”.(Gilman, 569) She came up with all these crazy ideas about the wallpaper and believed them. She said that the pattern on the wallpaper changed at night from what it was during the day. Her conclusion was that “The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern, just as if she wanted to get out.” (Gilman, 570)

It is hard to trust a person when they believe a woman is trapped behind wallpaper. The end of the story showed that the narrator was in fact mentally ill, not just depressed or delusional. She locked herself in the room to help the woman out. In the end the narrator believed that she, herself, was the woman trapped in the paper. “I’ve got out at last, and I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so now you can’t put me back!” (Gilman, 574)

The author is showing that the narrator makes a big difference. Along with many other things, the narrator can change, and also create a story. If this story was told by the narrator’s husband, then it would have been about his wife getting ill and going crazy. All of the narrator’s thoughts would have been different. The narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, although inconsistent and inaccurate, is what made the story very different and interesting.