Part 7: Symbols

How to analyze literature?

Why was the curtain blue? Why is the wallpaper yellow?

Symbols in literature often represent something beyond their literal meaning. For instance, in The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, the wallpaper initially appears to be nothing more than an unattractive yellow decoration with a wild, chaotic pattern. However, as the story unfolds, it comes to reflect much more—both about the narrator’s deteriorating mental state and the broader societal constraints she faces. This duality of meaning can sometimes make it challenging to analyze symbols, but the key lies in justifying your interpretation. What makes you think an object symbolizes something more? Your reasoning is as important as the symbol itself.

Often, an author will draw attention to a symbol through repetition or detailed descriptions, signaling that it deserves closer examination. When analyzing symbols, context is crucial—both the context of the story and the larger context of the symbol itself. Symbols can evolve within a story, with changes in their meaning reflecting shifts in the narrative or the character’s perspective. In The Yellow Wallpaper, for example, the way the wallpaper seems to move mirrors the narrator’s intensifying claustrophobia and descent.

Symbols can deepen a story’s appeal, inviting readers to explore layers of meaning. As you revisit a book after many years, you might uncover new symbols or interpret them differently, influenced by your life experiences. This flexibility is part of what makes symbolism so compelling—it allows stories to grow with us over time.

Symbols can also connect characters to particular themes or attributes. For example, in The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator shares her story through diary entries, revealing her vivid imagination and inner life. The diary itself could symbolize her agency, providing her with a means to assert her voice and identity in a situation where she feels powerless.

Additionally, symbols can foreshadow events or, through repetition, evolve into motifs. A motif is a recurring element that reinforces a story’s theme or mood. One prominent motif in The Yellow Wallpaper is the pattern of the wallpaper. This intricate, often-repeated image draws attention to oppressive structures—the bars in the pattern mirror the narrator’s confinement, both physically and socially.

So, why is the wallpaper yellow? Its sickly, unsettling color might symbolize decay or illness, reflecting the narrator’s mental state. It could also represent societal views on femininity during the time, with yellow—a traditionally "cheerful" color—ironically highlighting the oppressive nature of her environment.

I’ll see you tomorrow!

<3 Jonna