Happy Goat Horror

Diagnosed by her physician husband with a “temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency” after the birth of her child, a woman is urged to rest for the summer in an old colonial mansion. Forbidden from doing work of any kind, she spends her days in the house’s former nursery, with its barred windows, scratched floor, and peeling yellow wallpaper.

In a private journal, the woman records her growing obsession with the “horrid” wallpaper. Its strange pattern mutates in the moonlight, revealing what appears to be a human figure in the design. With nothing else to occupy her mind, the woman resolves to unlock the mystery of the wallpaper. Her quest, however, leads not to the truth, but into the darkest depths of madness.

A condemnation of the patriarchy, The Yellow Wallpaper explores with terrifying economy the oppression, grave misunderstanding, and willful dismissal of women in late nineteenth-century society.

This story is something special, and the back-cover synopsis can’t do it justice. I first read it as part of a uni project over a decade ago, and though it didn’t hit me then because I was distracted by the assignment, the story has stayed with me all this time. If you want a short, sharp burst of historical horror, this is it. The more you know about the author and why she wrote this story, the worse it is to read.

In the mind of this woman who has been confined to a single room with absolutely no source of entertainment, work, or leisure, we’re forced to stand by and simply witness the horrors as they unfold in her mind. A truly jarring tale that’s sure to induce anxiety and anger (especially if you’re a woman). If you want something that will get under your skin and stay there, there’s nothing better than The Yellow Wallpaper.