“There are things in that paper that no one knows but me, or ever will know” (Gilman 483). Using the central symbol of wallpaper, Ms. Gilman allows her protagonist, Jane, to articulate the state of her mind through her obsession with the wallpaper in her room. The wallpaper descriptions change in complexity to reflect the degree to which Jane's mind has fallen into psychosis. The background description also serves as a visual frame of reference for the reader as the main character begins to hallucinate. When Jane arrives at the summer estate with her husband, a doctor of some repute, she immediately begins to fantasize that the place is haunted, strangely enough, she can “feel it” (479). We begin to see that something is happening to her mentally, that perhaps she is the one who feels strange. “This is our first warning that all is not well, although we have yet to say whether with the house or with Jane. However, the fact that she tells us at the beginning that this is not a haunted house suggests that the “queerness” will be her fault” (Kerr). This is again reinforced in the next lines when she confesses that she is “unreasonably angry” at her husband (479). She is sure she has "never been like this" (479). This is the effect of her suffering from postpartum depression, which she ultimately falls into psychosis at the end of the story. Jane's condition would likely embarrass her important husband and explains why he is treating her personally instead of referring her to another doctor. From the text we can assume that she works as a writer, but she has been “absolutely forbidden to work” until she recovers (478). He admits to continuing to write, but must hide the fact or face "him... in the middle of the paper... the breakdown we see in the story. Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. "The Yellow Paper." The Norton Introduction to literature, eleventh shorter edition. New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 2013. Print. Johnson, Greg. The Gothic Allegory: Anger and Redemption in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' Students. Kathleen Wilson. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 277-293. Gale Virtual Reference. 13 March 2014. Karpinski, Joanne B. "An Introduction to Critical Essays on Charlotte Perkins Gilman. " Short Stories for Students. Ed. Kathleen Wilson. Vol 1. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 277-293. PrintKerr, Calum A. "Literary Contexts in Short Stories: Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper." Literary Contexts in Short Stories: "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (2006): 1. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. March 13. 2014.