He knows there is no reason to suffer, and that satisfies him. Of course, it is only nervousness. It does weigh on me not to do my duty in any way! I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a comparative burden already! Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able—to dress and entertain, and order things.” (The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman Pg 3) This quote shows how the expectations have been unfairly placed to the point where she is blaming herself for the wrongdoings of others. At the time of this story, societal expectations are restricted specifically for women, and this is the main cause of the client's downfall. In addition, the symbol of the yellow wallpaper serves as a representation of the client's imprisonment caused by the toxic social environment. The wallpaper becomes a symbol of her deteriorating mental state as she obsessively fixates on it, seeing a trapped woman trying to break free. She provides proof of this when she says “Sometimes I think there are a great many women behind, and sometimes only one, and she crawls around fast, and her crawling shakes it all