Was Charlotte Perkins Gilman Influenced by Her Cat?

In her article “Marking Her Territory: Feline Behavior in ‘The Yellow Wall-Paper,’” Catherine J. Gordon explores the idea that the narrator of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wall-Paper” exhibits feline behavior. Gordon draws intriguing parallels between the narrator and a cat—highlighting actions such as sleeping during the day, pacing within the confines of her room, and ultimately tearing apart the wallpaper and damaging the bed. While the article briefly mentions Gilman’s fondness for cats, its real value lies in its exploration of mental illness. Rather than being driven by Gilman’s love of cats, the narrator’s behavior is more accurately linked to the author’s own experiences with depression and the controversial rest cure.

Gordon suggested the narrator as having feline behaviors throughout the story. The article suggests that Charlotte Perkins Gilman was found to be in the company of cats in her home and often wrote about them in her diary and letters to friends. Gordon also claims Charlotte Perkins Gillman transformed her works into having her characters reflect the behaviors of cats.

The article then gives a brief history of cat obsession before “The Yellow Wall-Paper” was published. “Marking Her Territory…” states cat shows were gaining popularity. As a matter of fact, the first cat show was held in July 1871, in London, England (Gordon). This show influenced people to join other cat-themed groups, clubs, shows, and activities around the world (Gordon). To quote Frances Simpson on the matter in The Book of the Cat: “Dogs are more essentially the friends of men, and cats may be considered as the chosen allies of women kind.” (Gordon). I believe this quote holds some truth—dogs are often considered a man’s best friend, while cats are more commonly found in women’s households.

With Gilman’s knowledge of cats along with her own experiences with the rest cure and mental illness, it is suggested that “The Yellow Wall-Paper” is geared towards the narrator’s struggle with depression. Although the article compares the narrator’s habit of sleeping during the day to a cat’s tendency to sleep for most of the day, excessive sleeping is also a well-known symptom of depression. Another point the article makes is that cats frequently groom themselves, yet there is no mention of the narrator bathing—something often neglected by individuals suffering from depression. Finally, Gordon likens the narrator’s crying to the cries of a cat, interpreting it as feline behavior; however, frequent crying is also a common indicator of emotional distress and depression.

Another argument by the article states:

“Freeing the woman she sees trapped behind the yellow wallpaper in this final entry, she continues to tear off large strips of the paper, an action that mimics clawing, another form of territorial marking (Gordon).”

This quote suggests that the narrator is behaving like a cat by destroying the wallpaper and furniture. However, such destructive and manic behavior is more accurately associated with symptoms of bipolar disorder in humans. Additionally, the narrator’s visions of another woman within the wallpaper could indicate symptoms of schizoaffective disorder, which combines mood disorder features with hallucinations or delusions.

To quote the article further:

“Cats live to hunt and stalk, crawl, and pounce, scent and mark. Acting like a feline, the narrator has decided to have an interaction with John, her life ‘prey’ on her own terms. She is acting instinctually, naturally, independently, and powerfully…In her yellow wallpapered lair where she naps most of the day, the narrator of ‘The Yellow Wall-Paper’ rubs her scent and her yellow smooch onto John. Crawling over him and marking him, the narrator transforms the patriarch into a part of her own territory (Gordon).”

I think this quote from the article is interesting. The unnamed narrator shows giving into her feline tendencies, thus marking John as her human. However, I truly interpret this quote and particular passage “The Yellow Wall-Paper” as the narrator coining to terms with her mental health. When her husband faints after seeing his wife in this wild state, I believe he realizes his wrongful assumption that his wife is truly ill and does not need the rest of the cure she was prescribed.

Catherine J. Gordon did a thorough job in researching Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s potential feline influence on “The Yellow Wall-Paper”. If a reader were to read “Marking Her Territory: Feline Behavior in ‘The Yellow Wall-Paper’” prior to reading the actual story, I would understand if they thought this story was based on such behavior. However, reading this article after Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s short story, I firmly believe that the cat theory is false. I know firsthand how the narrator felt during her rest cure from personal experience, I was in a mental health treatment facility in October 2023 with limited access to items I took for granted in the outside world. Therefore, “The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Charlotte Gilman was truly influenced by her experiences with depression and rest cure and not by cats.

Works Cited

Golden, Catherine J. “Marking Her Territory: Feline Behavior in ‘The Yellow Wall- Paper.’” American Literary Realism, vol. 40, no. 1, 2007, pp. 16–31. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27747270. Accessed 6 Feb. 2024.