Independence
Although "The Yellow Wall-Paper" is fiction, it can be considered almost like Gilman's autobiography since Gilman's life seemed to parallel her main character's life. What Gilman was trying to express in this work is women's fight for identity and independence (professional work) which are stripped from them by marriage and motherhood. (p799) In the story, a woman who just gave birth had some complications which resulted in her so called "hysteria" or nervous condition. She's not allowed to do anything but stare at some yellow wall-paper until she ultimately loses her mind. The narrator, who will be referred to as Gilman for simplicity's sake, is a writer who is unable to write due to her motherhood.