Contrary Interpretations of the Yellow Wallpaper “The Yellow Wallpaper” was first published in the New England Magazine in 1892. Charlotte Perkins Gilman, an advocate for the advancement of women, is the author of the story. He wanted the piece to bring to light the inherent ineptitude of Weir Mitchell's "rest cure." While this topic is addressed, many other pertinent topics are addressed, very subtly. Other themes in the book include the role of women in a male-dominated society, the role of the mother, and how oppression can affect the mind of a creative individual. These themes, however, can be altered simply by how the narrative is edited. I intend to highlight some pertinent differences that exist between the full text of the story and an abridged version, describing how they give contrary interpretations to the same story. To better understand the differences I'll notice, it may help to be familiar with the basic plot of "The Yellow Wallpaper." Both versions tell the story of a woman who loses her mind. She hasn't been feeling well for some time, so her husband, a doctor, decides that a summer spent relaxing in the countryside would do her some good. While there, she is forbidden to write in her diary, as it indulges her imagination, which does not conform to her husband's wishes. Despite this, the narrator makes entries in the diary every chance he gets. Through these entries we learn of his obsession with the wallpaper in his bedroom. She is fascinated by it and studies the newspaper for hours. She seems to see a woman trapped behind the drawing on the paper. The story reaches its climax when her husband has to force his way into the bedroom, only to find... middle of paper... a woman driven mad by her position in life. Wallpaper simply serves as a catalyst for its depletion. This interpretive discrepancy, as well as the loss of authenticity and ultimately the weakening of John's power, ultimately leaves the two versions of “The Yellow Wallpaper” open to different interpretations. Works Cited Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. The yellow background. Ed. Dale M. Bauer. Bedford Cultural Edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1998.---. "The yellow wallpaper." Great American Stories. Pleasantville: Reader's Digest, 1977. 195-206. Works consulted Golden, Catherine, ed. The Captive Imagination: A Casebook on "The Yellow Wallpaper." New York: Feminist Press, 1992Kasmer, Lisa. "Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'The Yellow Wallpaper': A Symptomatic Reading." Literature and psychology. 36, (1990): 1-15.