The Yellow Wallpaper and Lovecraft

From Everyone Should Read by Everyone Should Read

October 8, 2025 · 29 min · Season 1 · Episode 6

About this episode

The episode explores the themes of Gothic Horror through the works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman and H.P. Lovecraft, focusing on psychological confinement and societal control.

In this haunting episode of Everyone Should Read, hosts Kate Watters and Drew Sylva dive deep into the unsettling world of Gothic Horror. From Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper to the cosmic terrors of H.P. Lovecraft. They explore how each writer captures the fear of the unknown, psychological confinement, and the boundaries of reality itself. Through Gilman’s chilling portrayal of postpartum depression and female agency in a patriarchal world, and Lovecraft’s obsession with cosmic dread, Kate and Drew uncover how horror reflects both inner madness and societal control. Tune in for a discussion that blends literary analysis, feminist critique, and the psychology of fear, all wrapped in the eerie atmosphere that defines Gothic storytelling. Trigger Warning: this episode discusses suicide. If you, or anyone you know are suffering from thoughts of self harm, or suicide, please call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 988 or text the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Text HELP for English or AYUDA for Spanish.

People in this episode

Hosts: Kate Watters, Drew Sylva

Topics covered

Gothic Horror
psychological confinement
female agency
postpartum depression
cosmic dread
literary analysis
feminist critique

Keywords

Gothic Horror
The Yellow Wallpaper
H.P. Lovecraft
psychological horror
feminism
literary analysis
cosmic dread
postpartum depression

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Yellow Wallpaper