I think the story The Yellow Wallpaper was a good example of how entertainment always has a lesson or a deeper meaning within it. In The Yellow Wallpaper’s case, the deeper meaning had to do with the oppression of women in seemingly “happy” marriages and, further, the downplaying and repression of mental illnesses in women and especially women who are supposed to be a part of “high society.” Doctors call the narrator “hysterical” and encourage her husband, John, to almost “capture” her within this room with yellow wallpaper. When she takes a disliking to the wallpaper, he refuses to change it or take it down, believing it would be giving in to her wills and worsen her symptoms. Obviously, the narrator needed much more professional care and was suffering from severe depression and possibly OCD and depersonalization.
There’s a significant difference between the narrator and her husband in terms of personality; the narrator (the wife) is much more emotional, feeling, intuitive, and she sees things below the surface. John, the husband, however, is much more practical and closed-minded and can’t interpret the things his wife is interpreting and seeing. There’s such a disconnect here that nothing eventually gets resolved.
I think The Yellow Wallpaper also shows how our narratives and minds can attack themselves, convincing us that we can’t be healed or fixed. And this concept just multiplies as anxiety and depression increase, leading to this constant cycle that, without help, is nearly impossible to escape from. I think this story really showed that descent and what contributes to such a descent, and I think the author did an especially good job of showing it from the perspective of the individual falling into that descent, how helpless they feel when no one around them believes or understands them.
I think your point about personality is really important. The narrator displays characteristics that are typically attributed to women: emotional, unable to care for one’s self, sand sensitive, and weak. John demonstrates characteristics: unemotional, practical, reasonable, and strong. These gender norms play out in the way that the narrator is forced into solitude to “treat” her condition, while her real feelings and problems are not taken seriously or addressed by her “smarter” husband who seems to know best.
Most entertainment typically has a meaning to it even if it doesn’t seem so from the surface. For example, in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, the show is mostly around Will Smiths’ character being funny around his extended family. However, most of the show is really showing the struggles of growing up in the hood and trying to be successful as a minority in the United States. Uncle Phil is the epitome of overcoming those difficulties and is a symbol for a lot of young people.
I think your idea about the downplaying of mental illness in high society and in society in general is really important. Seeing representation of how someone can struggle with this and still hide it very well to those around them for the most part can be very relatable for many people. I think the way the narrator speaks makes this really interesting.
I think your point about looking for a deeper meaning is really important. Although most stories are also for entertainment, they hold lessons that all readers can hold valuable. Pertaining to The Yellow Umbrella, the deeper meaning of sexism is displayed. Good Job!