The Yellow Wallpaper (Charlotte Perkins Gilman)

"The Yellow Wallpaper," a short story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, explores the mental health struggles of a woman undergoing a rest cure for postpartum depression. Confined to a room with yellow wallpaper, she becomes increasingly obsessed with the wallpaper's patterns, which symbolize her oppression and deteriorating mental state. The story critiques 19th-century attitudes towards women's health and autonomy, highlighting the detrimental effects of isolation and patriarchal control. As her obsession grows, she identifies with a trapped figure in the wallpaper, culminating in a powerful confrontation with her condition and societal constraints. Ultimately, it serves as a poignant statement on mental illness and gender roles.