The yellow wallpaper

From the perspective of John

Entry 23

I have found the perfect mansion to house Jane for the next few weeks or more if need be. The old ancestral hall is surrounded by hedges and gates, and is a little way out from the village. I have convinced her that we will be holidaying there together however she shall need some time alone in order for the recommended rest cure to work, to my surprise she agreed with me. I will need to leave frequently for work which concerns me because when left alone she often becomes worse. I hope the doctor is right and she can be cured quickly.

The carriage is packed and we leave tomorrow.

Entry 24

Upon arrival today she questioned everything from the surrounding gates to the colour of the wallpaper in our room. I chose for us to take the highest room of the house, the old nursery .The window has been barred and the bed nailed to the floor by my request so she will not try to escape or move the bed to see out the window, the doctor recommended she have no stimulation during her rest period. I cannot help but feel worried and scared of what she might do if left alone but I must go to work now.

Entry 25

I return as often as possible to check on her, all seemed to be going well and she appeared to be getting better until last night when I decided to spend the night with her, she rose out of bed and began studying the wallpaper, it seemed to worry her greatly. Such a preposterous thing to be fixated on but this was not unusual for her nor was it unusual for her to become hysterical and nervous which she quickly became when I urged her to leave the wallpaper and come back to bed. She told me should could not get better in this room because of the sickly wallpaper and begged to leave, I had to assure her that we came here solely on her account and she needs to stay until she is better, when she asked for the wallpaper to be covered I told her that I would not, she needs to understand that covering it will get the better of her and nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fancies, she agreed and went back to bed, however, I feel that she will not let this go.

Entry 26

I noticed something unusual today; Jane seemed to be doing well however the wallpaper still appeared to disturbing her. I have decided to rent the mansion for three months longer even though she claims she is suffering, I see no reason for suffering and feel being here is helping, I have noticed however that the wallpaper is now concerning me, great patches of the wallpaper are missing all around the head of her bed that I am almost certain were there before and when I questioned her about it she simply told me that she did not know how it happened. Attempting not to promote hysterics again I simply laughed and left her be. I asked Jennie if she had noticed anything strange whilst I was at work but she insisted it all seemed ordinary except she often thought she could hear Jane talking to no one, perhaps she is just lonely.

Entry 27

When I returned yesterday after working for the night I knew something was terribly wrong, Jennie ran to meet me upon my arrival and told me in a panic that she could not open the door to Jane's room and had been hearing strange sounds all day and night. It all seems so surreal now but I know it all happened, when I got up to the room the door was locked and I begged for her to open it, she refused claiming that I would have to get the key down the front door under a plantain leaf. I was quick to get it and return only to be confronted with the horrific sight when I entered the room; my darling wife crouched against the wall slowing moving around looking back over her shoulder staring at me, the wallpaper now all torn and in clumps on the ground. "I've got out at last, in spite of you and Jane" she yelled and "I've pulled off most of the paper so you can't put me back". Confused at what she said I walked in slowly, just a little further, I saw the blood stains on her dress and around her mouth, I fainted. When I awoke Jennie told me of what had happened, she had to drag me out of the room as Jane continued to creep around the walls. I am terrified of what will happen to her now that she has been taken to a mental asylum but I could not go on living with an insane woman.