The Yellow Wallpaper: Male Oppression The story, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, follows the day-to-day life of a woman on the verge of insanity. One must take a closer look at the symbolism through out the story in order to understand the true meaning of the story. The symbolism present in The Yellow Wallpaper portrays a woman oppressed by male dominance in the 19th century, and eventually giving up her sanity for her freedom. One of the most common symbols connected with women is the house. Usually the house represents a woman’s self-expression, however, in this story, the house represents a prison in which the narrator is trapped. The house is not