The Yellow Wallpaper Debate-Revised

An important character in "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is John. He is the narrator's husband and can be blamed for her breakdown throughout the novel. John is not a good husband at all and symbolizes the majority of men during the 1980s. He has no respect for his wife and treats her like a child, or a pet instead of a human being. Early on in the book the narrator states, "John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage"(9). John does not take anything the narrator says seriously. He also doesn't take the time to truly listen to her, even when it is about her own illness. The narrator mentions, "You see he does not believe I am sick! And what can one do"(10)? She also says, "John does not know how much I really suffer"(14). A husband who truly wanted his wife to get better would listen to what she has to say about her illness and at least take it into consideration. Throughout the story John controls every aspect of the narrator's life. She is no longer aloud to write because John hates it. He has her on a "schedule prescription for each hour of the day"(12). The narrator is under his complete control. John even gets to decide wen she is allowed to see her own family. Yet he is not even around the majority of the time. The narrator writes, "John is away all day, and even some nights..."(13). If he really cared John would be there to offer his wife love and support, not busy himself with "cases" in town. Overall John is a terrible husband who offers only disrespect, lack of trust, control and neglect.