In "The Yellow Wallpaper" characters are shown having the ability to allow for freedom and imprisonment in the story. John for instance imprison's his wife, by removing all contact from the outside world from her, and by keeping her under constant watch. The narrator in a sense frees herself, by allowing for her true emotions to be expressed at the end of the story. Another character who has both worlds in this story is both imprisoned and free is Jennie. She is imprisoned by her task, which is to care for the narrator, which acts as her sort of prison, and John her warden. The way she is free, however is that she is given power over another, which allows for her to have some free thought and contact with the outside world, making her not entirely isolated.