“Not Intended to Drive People Crazy”: Genre, Gender, and the Politics of Reception in The Yellow Wallpaper

Abstract

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper has undergone a complex and evolving critical reception since its initial publication in 1892. Originally dismissed or overlooked by editors and early readers, the story has been reclaimed by feminist scholarship as a powerful literary intervention into nineteenth-century gender politics. This paper examines the shifting reception of the text across three key interpretive frameworks: as a non-political gothic tale, as a female gothic narrative, and as a politically charged feminist work. Drawing on critical perspectives from scholars such as Elaine Hedges, Julie Dock, and Greg Buzwell, the study explores how the story’s formal elements and cultural context intersect with the author’s own experiences, particularly in relation to medical authority and editorial censorship.

This paper argues that the history of the story’s reception reflects the very institutional and patriarchal dynamics that the narrative critiques. By treating reception history as an extension of the story’s feminist intervention, the study repositions The Yellow Wallpaper as a metatextual commentary on literary value, canon formation, and the politics of critical legitimacy. Analyzing Gilman’s autobiographical writings alongside her critical afterlife, the paper situates the text as both foundational to feminist literary studies and illustrative of how marginalized voices navigate structures of cultural authority. The study highlights the story’s enduring relevance and its potential to inform contemporary debates on literature, gender, and power.