What makes the narrator in “the yellow wallpaper” an unreliable narrator?

The characters in literature played a significant role in the realist period. They were more complex and multidimensional. This period also saw a development in the field of human psychology, leading authors to explore the psyche and mindset of their characters. The style of narration changed as well. Henry James, Edgar Allan Poe, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and many other authors presented their stories using unreliable narrators. These narrators would often present seemingly exaggerated or unbelievable versions of events. Although the exaggerated or unrealistic descriptions make readers suspicious about the reliability of the source, these descriptions are still realistic because they offer readers a side of life they may not often see.

For example, “The Yellow Wallpaper” presents the story of an unreliable narrator, someone who is descending into insanity. The narrator’s description of the yellow wallpaper in her bedroom makes the reader question her sanity and wonder if she is telling the complete truth. The narrator talks about impossibilities, such as a woman creeping out of the wallpaper. She also imagines the wallpaper having humanlike qualities, which it can’t have. She is shown to be thinking, “This paper looks to me as if it knew what a vicious influence it had!” Towards the end of the story, any reasonable reader is convinced that the narrator is suffering from a mental disorder. This is evident when she has a complete breakdown. She believes that she is one of the women from the wallpaper and begins crawling on the floor, not caring a bit about the state of her husband or her newborn baby.