Reader Response: "The Yellow Wallpaper"

John Supresses the narrator's right to feel fulfillment in her life. She is convinced that it is in her best interest to let other women take over her daily tasks of being a wife and a mother. John does not allow her to be helpful and in effect it causes her to mentally breakdown. "I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already!" (14). The narrator is deemed a burden and useless in the eyes of her husband John. He has begun to replace her with other women in the house taht do her tasks. The narrator is left in the attic and eventually her boredom and frustrations cause her to hallucinate and begin her obsession with the wallpaper. Clearly the narrator is frustrated by her lack of duties. "Jennie sees to everything now" (18). Her obsessions and anger grow as John continues to ignore her. "I lie here on this great immovable bed. It is nailed down, I believe- and fllow that pattern about by the hour" (19). John's ignorance abouy his wife's abilities and needs are directly connected to her condition.