THE YELLOW WALLPAPER

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

TIME
1892, California
SCENE I
SETTING:

(An old ancestral house, isolated

and far away from the village, a
strange house that has been
abandoned for years. Sounds of a
galloping horse and a carriages
wheels can be heard from the
background. The sound is starting
to get louder as the carriage
comes nearer.)

V.O
I suffer from temporary nervous depression a slight
hysterical tendency, yet, I believe that Im deeply ill,
that there is something wrong with my condition. But my
husband believes otherwise. He is a physician after all and
maybe that is the reason why I am not getting any better
John suggested that a little get away will help get better,
so we rented this ancestral halls for the summer. A colonial
mansion, a hereditary estate. There is something eerie about
this house but I cant seem to put my finger on it.
EXT. IN FRONT OF THE MANSION
[Enter JOHN and CHARLOTTE]
JOHN
Beautiful isnt it?
CHARLOTTE
It is quite lovely indeed.
JOHN
Shall we go inside?
(John takes Charlottes hand and they both go inside the
house)

INT. LIVING ROOM

CHARLOTTE
This house seems so queer. Why has this been unattended for
so long, couldnt be that it is haunted?
JOHN
(gives a short laugh and kisses Charlottes hands)
Youre speaking nonsense my love. This house is perfectly
fine and it shall be our home for the summer. Such talks
about the unseen is rubbish, please be reminded of that. Go
upstairs and take a look of the rooms there.
[Exit JOHN]
(Charlotte takes careful steps as she surveys the room. She
sits near the window and takes out a small notebook and a
pen and starts to write.)
INT. YELLOW ROOM
V.O
This house is the most beautiful place, it is quite alone,
standing well back from the road, quite three miles from the
village. This place has been empty for years It is like a
refuge from the world.
JOHN
(voice coming from the

background)

Charlotte!
(Charlotte is startled by Johns voice, she hurriedly hides
her pen and notebook inside her pocket. Afraid that she
might get caught writing once again.)
CHARLOTTE
(looks at the door)
Yes dear.
[Enter JOHN]
JOHN
How do you find our room?

CHARLOTTE
(scans the room with her
Its quite big.

eyes)

JOHN
Do not tire yourself too much, we came here solely to your
account, for you to relax and free your mind. Take a break
from writing.
CHARLOTTE
You know writing does me good, I am free when I write.

JOHN
But it will just exhaust you. My dear, I am your doctor
first and your husband second, I only want the best for you.
Rest, sleep as much as you can. You are forbidden to work
until you are well again.
CHARLOTTE
I understand, thank you for caring.
CURTAINS
END SCENE
SCENE II
INT.

YELLOW ROOM

(John and Charlotte are lying in their bed)

CHARLOTTE
This house is giving me chills John, I felt something.
JOHN
(doesnt look at Charlotte and keeps reading his book)
It was just a draught, shut the windows next time.
CHARLOTTE
Well, I do not like our room. Can we occupy one of the rooms
downstairs instead?

JOHN

(Sets aside his book and takes off his glasses. Looks at
Charlotte, a bit exasperated.)
Why do you not fancy this room? It is big, airy and you can
bask under the sunlight. This room is good for you. Besides,
the rooms downstairs are too small, we are better off if we
stay here.
CHARLOTTE
(defeated, sighs heavily)
Alright, but please do something about the paper at least. I
do not like it. I never saw a worse paper in my life.
JOHN
I will think of something, but for now let us go to sleep.
CURTAINS
(Charlotte is in her usual spot, by the window overlooking
the luscious garden with a pen and paper in her hands. She
sees a yellow form near the bushes, Charlotte blinks and the
yellow form is gone. Maybe it is just her imagination going
wild. She resumes to writing.)
V.O
The colour is repellent, almost revolting, a smouldering
unclear yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning
sunlight. Such pain in the eyes. It gives me an unrelenting
and irritable feeling.
CURTAINS
END SCENE
SCENE III
IT. DINING ROOM
(Charlotte, John and Jennie are seated at the dining room,
they are having their breakfast. Sounds of silverwares
clacking against each other can be heard. A maid is serving
them their meal.)

JOHN

Have you been following your schedule for each hour? You
must sleep after every meal, so you must go straight to our
room after we eat.
CHARLOTTE
I do not think that is good.
JOHN
Darling, I am your husband as well as your doctor, please
follow my instruction. Rest is all you need to get well.
CHARLOTTE
I cant be in that room with that horrible paper still on
the walls.

JOHN
You know that if I take off the paper, youd soon ask me
about the heavy bedstead, the barred windows. Dear, I dont
care to renovate the house for just three months rental.

JOHN (contd)
(wipes his mouth with his napkin, puts down his knife and
fork and stands up)
Well, I am going now.
(The two ladies also stand up and accompany John at the
threshold, alongside with the maid.)
INT. BY THE FRONT DOOR
JOHN
I will be away for the whole day. Take care of yourselves.
Come here my boy.
(Mary, the maid, gives the baby to John. John plants a soft
kiss on the babys forehead and returns him to Mary.
[Exit JOHN]

JENNIE

(shifts her attention to Charlotte)

How are you feeling?
CHARLOTTE
A wee bit better, perhaps.
JENNIE
Do you want to hold your child for a while?
CHARLOTTE
I rather not, it makes me nervous. Im afraid that something
bad might happen.
CHARLOTTE (contd)
(looks at Mary and puts her hand on her shoulder)
Thank you Mary for taking good care of him.

MARY
Its my please Madame, I shall now feed him.
[Exit MARY]
JENNIE
You mentioned the other day that you want to visit cousin
Henry and Julia, did John give you his permission?
CHARLOTTE
(shakes her sign to show disapproval)
He said that I should not interact with stimulating people,
not when Im still resting.
JENNIE
(puts her arm around Charlottes shoulder)
Im sure John means well.
CHARLOTTE
These nervous troubles are dreadfully depressing but he said
that there is no for me to suffer.

JENNIE

It may be tedious not to work or just to rest all day but it

is for your own good. Are you getting comfortable in your
room?
CHARLOTTE
I am getting quite fond of the big room, but that horrid
paper. I wish John would take it off. Well, I will now take
my nap.
JENNIE
Rest well.
[Exit JENNIE]
INT. YELLOW ROOM
(Charlotte is in her room, sitting on her bed and once again
writing.)
INT. THE YELLOW ROOM
V.O
The wallpaper is torn off in spots and the floor is
scratched and gouged. But I dont mind it a bit only the
paper. I can see strange provoking, formless sort of figure,
that seems to sulk about behind that silly conspicuous front
design.
(Charlotte takes a look of the wall, she stares at it with
an incredulous expression on her face, and she sees a form
slowly appearing. She goes back to writing)
V.O (contd)
There is a recurrent spot where the patters looks like a
broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you upside down.
It is like a woman stooping down and creeping about behind
the pattern, behind the paper. I dont like it a bit. I wish
John would take me away from here.
CURTAINS
END SCENE

SCENE IV

(Charlotte and John are lying on their bed. John is asleep

but Charlotte is wide awake, carefully studying the patterns
on the wall, following the lines leading to nowhere. She
sees the formless shape again, creeping out of the window.
Charlotte slowly gets up and walks toward the wall. She
feels the wall with her hand.)
CHARLOTTE
(still caressing the wall and whispers)
The paper did move.
(Charlotte goes back to bed only to see John wide awake)
JOHN
What is it, little girl? Dont go walking about like that
youll get a cold.
CHARLOTTE
(sits down on the bed and looks at John)
John, I like for us to leave this place. I dont feel well
in this house.
JOHN
(slowly sits down)
Why darling? Our lease will be held up in three weeks, can
we just stay here until then. Whether you see it or now, you
really are better. Stop thinking about your condition, it
will just bring you no good. Do you not trust my words, wait
a little longer and this will be over soon.
(Charlotte doesnt utter a word, all her claims will just
fall to deaf ears. Both John and her lie down, John quickly
falls asleep while Charlotte once again studies the
patterns, observing if the patterns did move or not.)
CURTAINS
END SCENE

EXT. BY THE FRONT STEPS OF THE MANSION

SCENE V
(Johns mother, his sister Nellie and her children come down
for a visit. John, Charlotte and Jennie welcome them at the
threshold.)
[Enter MOTHER, NELLIE AND CHILDREN]
JOHN
Come in, come in. We prepared a small feast for you, you
must be hungry.
MOTHER
Hush my dear, the travel was not that bad.
CHARLOTTE
How are you? How was your travel?
NELLIE
It was long but we enjoyed the scenery. Such lovely view.
MOTHER
How are you Charlotte? You seem to be gaining colour, you
look healthier than the last time I saw you.
JOHN
She is mother, her appetite is growing and she even gained a
few pounds.
NELLIE
Well thats delightful to hear. Seems like living here for a
couple of months has done good tour your health Charlotte.
CHARLOTTE
Perhaps, so how long will you be staying here?
MOTHER
A week, we just came here to see how you are doing.
CHARLOTTE
Do you need help with your belongings?

(Charlotte offers to give them a hand but John interferes

and grabs the luggage off Charlottes hands)
JOHN
Dont bother Charlotte, I will take care of that. Shall we
go to the dining room?
CURTAINS
INT. YELLOW ROOM
(Charlotte sits near the window, writing once again and
observing the walls. She looks outside, and there she sees
the woman, creeping, crawling once again.)
V.O
We just had Mother and Nellie and the children down for a
week. Of course I didnt do anything but it tired me all the
same. Im getting fond of the room in spite of the
wallpaper. Perhaps because of the wallpaper that Im feeling
a little bit better, John might laugh at me if I tell him
so. I have been following the pattern on the wall for about
an hour. I am determined to follow that pointless pattern to
some sort of conclusion.
(Charlotte puts her pen and paper inside her pocket and she
shuffles her feet across the room towards the wall. She
traces the patterns with her fingers, following the trails
with her eyes and feeling the paper with the palms of her
hands.)
CHARLOTTE
I feel tired. I will take a nap I guess.
END SCENE
SCENE VI

I am
look
as a
have

V.O
getting afraid of John sometimes, he has that queer
on his face at times. Even Jennie. It did occur to me
hypothesis that maybe it is because of the paper. I
caught John ..

[Enter JOHN]
(John stands in the middle of the room, intently looking at
the paper)
V.O (contd)
Looking at the paper, several times. Jennie too, I caught
her with her hand on the paper.
[Exit JOHN]
[Enter CHARLOTTE]
(Charlotte is standing by the window, she hears the door
opening and Jennie enters the room.
[Enter JENNIE]
(Jennie proceeds to walk toward the paper not minding that
she is not alone in the room. Charlotte strolls near Jennie
and taps her shoulder)
CHARLOTTE
(says softly)
Jennie
(Jennie is surprised and turns around to see who it was. An
annoyed expression on her face)
JENNIE
You gave me a fright.
CHARLOTTE
But I have been here all the while.
JENNIE
I did not see you, you should not sneak up on people like
that. You almost gave me a heart attack.
CHARLOTTE
May I ask why you are here? You seem interested to that
paper.

JENNIE

(voice a little bit louder, almost shouting but not quite)

Thats because I found yellow smooches on all of your
clothes and also Johns, you should be careful next time.
[Exit JENNIE]
(Charlotte has a confused expression on her face, she did
not understand what has just transpired. She turns her
attention to the wall.)
V.O
I am pretty sure that Jennie was studying the pattern, and I
am determined that nobody shall find out what it means but
myself. I am not leaving until I know what it is.
CURTAINS
END SCENE
SCENE VII
INT. YELLOW ROOM
(It is the last night of their stay at the mansion. John is
away and it is only Charlotte, Jennie, the maid and they
baby are left. Charlotte is in her bed, writing until she
hears a knock on her door.)
[knocking noise]
CHARLOTTE
Come in.
[Enter JENNIE]
CHARLOTTE
What brings you here Jennie at this time of night?
JENNIE
Well with John away, I thought that you might want some
company. So I offer to sleep here for the night.
CHARLOTTE
That is entirely sweet of you but I am fine on my own. No
need to worry about me.

JENNIE
Are you sure?

CHARLOTTE
Im positive.
JENNIE
If thats what you wish, but if you need anything Ill be at
my room. Dont hesitate to give me a knock.
CHARLOTTE
I appreciate your concern Jennie. Have a good night.
[Exit JENNIE]
(Charlotte waits for the moonlight, she stands up and walks
near the window to have a good look of the moon. She smiles
in content as she sees the moon high up in the night sky,
she turns around and sees the woman creeping and shaking the
paper off the wall. Without a doubt in mind Charlotte
immediately walks near the woman and helps her pull the
paper off the walls. They strip off all of the paper until
the walls are almost bare and the sun is rising.)
[knocking noise]
[Enter JENNIE]
JENNIE
Breakfast is ready
(Jennie stops on her tracks, her eyes widen and her mouth
slightly open. She couldnt find the right words to say.)
JENNIE (contd)
What have you done to this room?
CHARLOTTE
I peeled off the paper out of sheer spite.

JENNIE

(laughs)
You know, I could have done that myself if you just told me
so. You should not tire yourself like that. Lets go
downstairs and have breakfast to regain your energy.
CHARLOTTE
I think Ill just stay here, tearing off the walls is quite
an exhausting job. And the room looks so clean and quiet
that I will just sleep, dont wake me up, not even for
dinner.
JENNIE
You must at least eat something, it is not good to sleep on
an empty stomach. You might go ill.
CHARLOTTE
Ill be fine, I just need to sleep. Please go, Ill call you
when I need you.
JENNIE
Alright then.
[Exit JENNIE]
(Charlotte waits until Jennie is out of sight, she scurries
to the door, she closes it and locks it. She drops the key
down into the front path.)
CURTAINS
END SCENE
SCENE VIII
INT. LIVING

ROOM

[Enter JOHN]
JOHN
Where is Charlotte?
JENNIE
She is upstairs, asleep. She refuses to be go down not even
for dinner.

JOHN
Did she tell her why? What is her reason?
(Suddenly, ruckus can be heard upstairs. Seems like chaos is
taking place, loud disturbing noises fills the air. Glass
shattering, big planks of wood falling, someone might be
pushing something heavy because screeching noises across a
wooden floor can be heard)
JOHN
What is that awful noise?
JENNIE
I dont know but it seems like its coming from your room
[Exit JENNIE]
(John immediately runs upstairs and tries to open the door.
But the door wouldnt open only to find out that it is
locked. John bangs the door with his fist repeatedly and
yells Charlottes name.)
INT. BY THE HALLWAY, IN FRONT OF THE YELLOW ROOM
JOHN
(shouting)
CHARLOTTE! CHARLOTTE! WHAT IS GOING ON IN THERE? OPEN THE
DOOR NOW! CHARLOTTE! OPEN THE DOOR! SOMEONE FETCH ME AN AXE,
THIS DOOR IS LOCKED.
(Suddenly, Charlottes voice can be heard from the other
side of the room)
[Charlottes voice in the background]
CHARLOTTE
(gentle voice)
John Dear, the key is down by the front steps, under a
plantain leaf
(Silence fills the air for a brief moment, John presses his
ear against the door)
JOHN

Please open the door my darling!

CHARLOTTE
I cant, I dont have the key. It is down by the front
steps, under a plantain leaf.
(John instantaneously goes downstairs to get the key)
[Exit JOHN]
[Enter JOHN]

JOHN
I have the key, I shall open this door now.
[Shows the other side of the room]
(John slowly opens the door only to be greeted by an
absolute chaos. The paper has been torn off the wall, broken
pieces of glass everywhere, the wardrobe has been taken
down..the whole room is an utter mess. John is dumbfounded.
He gingerly steps inside only to find his wife creeping.)
INT. YELLOW ROOM
JOHN
(almost yelling)
What is the matter? For Gods sake what are you doing?
CHARLOTTE
(crawling all over the room, looks at John over her
shoulder)
Ive got out at last, Ive pulled off most of the paper, so
you cant put me back.
(John faints, Charlotte crawls near John, she looks at him
for a while only to realize that he is hindering her path by
the wall so she had no choice but to creep over him every
time.
END SCENE
END PLAY