The significance of the narrator's room being a former nursery in "The Yellow Wallpaper" underscores her infantilization and confinement by her husband, reflecting societal norms of the time. The room, with its barred windows and nailed-down bed, symbolizes a prison rather than a place of care. This setting highlights her postpartum depression and the dismissive treatment she receives, likening her to a child whose opinions are easily disregarded as "baby talk."

A feminist criticism thesis comparing women's treatment in "Desiree's Baby" and "The Yellow Wallpaper" could focus on the oppression and destruction of female protagonists caused by male characters' flawed perceptions. Both stories highlight how these perceptions lead to the women’s downfall, emphasizing irony as the women are not inherently flawed. Additionally, the thesis could explore how both characters' self-worth and fulfillment are tied to their husbands, leading to their repression and loss of identity.

The protagonist's husband, John, does not physically lock her in the room but metaphorically confines her by restricting her activities and choices, believing she suffers from depression. As a physician, he decides she needs less stimulation and stress, denying her work and social interactions. Despite her requests, he refuses to change her room's wallpaper, further isolating her. This emotional confinement leads her to fixate on the wallpaper, symbolizing her entrapment.

The bedroom choice highlights the oppressive nature of the narrator's relationship with her husband, John. Despite her preference for a room with roses and chintz hangings, John insists on a former nursery with barred windows and unpleasant wallpaper, disregarding her desires. His refusal to change the wallpaper and condescending attitude, calling her a "blessed little goose," reflect his dominance and insensitivity, contributing to her mental deterioration.

The ending of "The Yellow Wallpaper" suggests that the woman behind the wallpaper is a manifestation of the protagonist's imagination and that the protagonist herself is the woman who has been trapped.

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the husband's actions can be seen as motivated by both love and a desire to isolate his wife due to her illness. While John genuinely cares for his wife's well-being, ensuring she receives rest and fresh air, his decision to move her to the countryside also reflects societal attitudes towards mental illness, which was often stigmatized. Thus, his actions are influenced by both affection and a wish to avoid public scrutiny.

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," John is depicted as a well-meaning but misguided physician who diagnoses his wife with a "slight hysterical tendency," a term likely referring to postpartum depression. The narrator is skeptical of his treatment, which includes rest and avoiding work, and feels he does not take her seriously. This dismissal of her illness exacerbates her condition, leading her to fixate on the wallpaper as a manifestation of her unease.

The trapped woman in "The Yellow Wallpaper" symbolizes the narrator's own feelings of entrapment and mental deterioration. Her husband and brother's oppressive control over her life mirrors the societal repression of women. The woman behind the wallpaper represents the narrator's struggle to escape her confinement and assert her identity. This symbol highlights the story's themes of mental illness, gender roles, and the impact of societal expectations on women's mental health during Gilman's time.

This passage reveals the narrator's growing desperation at her treatment as well as the complete failure of communication between husband and wife. John cannot hear and respect what his wife has to say because he infantilizes her instead of respecting her as a fellow adult. Although he says he loves her dearly and she wants to believe this, his actions in denying her needs show that he is incapable of a mature relationship with her.