The Yellow Wallpaper- Change

In the story, The Yellow Wallpaper, Gilman depicts change through the different layers of the wallpaper and the different appearances it seems to have. As the story progresses, so does her illness, and we see her become crazier as the pages go on. The woman is isolated, with no one to share her feelings or opinions with because her husband just turns the other way, and discredits her feelings. She has so much bottled up inside of her. The wallpaper is a way for her to spend her time and she is mesmerized by the pattern because it gives her something to express her opinions about, as she says, "But I must say what I feel and think in some way--it is such a relief!" (359). As she continues to analyze the paper deeper and deeper, she sees things she didn't before. She remarks, " There is one marked peculiarity about this paper, a thing nobody seems to notice but myself, and that is that it changes as the light changes" (361). She claims during the day, the pattern is of ugly designs, like a "fungus", and at nightime she sees a woman in bars shaking, trying to get out. I think the daylight represents how John and Jennie, as well as the rest of the world, see her- just a little sick, but not serious. But I think the night represents how she sees herself, alone and stuck in a prison-like place. As she slowly peels off the layers, the 'lady behind bars' becomes more apparent, until her true craziness is revealed once she peels it all off, and John truly sees her psychotic behavior and faints. I think the change in her sickness is represented through the changing wallpaper. As she gets crazier, so does the pattern as she sees it.