Final answer:
The narrator in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is freed by no longer caring what her husband thinks (c), which symbolizes her psychological break from the oppressive constraints of her marriage and societal roles. Her descent into madness represents her liberation from these confines.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper," the narrator achieves a dark and complex form of freedom by the end of the story. This freedom comes not from reuniting with her child, filing for divorce, or physically escaping the house, but rather from no longer caring what her husband thinks. The correct answer to the question is 'c) She doesn't care what her husband thinks'. This psychological liberation occurs as the narrator descends into madness, detaching herself from the oppressive constraints imposed by her husband and the rigid societal expectations of the time.
Throughout the story, the narrator is subjected to a 'rest-cure' that is meant to treat her postpartum depression yet ends up exacerbating her condition. The house, particularly the room with the yellow wallpaper, is a symbol of the suppression she faces, while the woman she sees trapped in the wallpaper represents her own entrapped state. By the end, the narrator's perception of her freedom is manifested in her belief that she has become the woman in the wallpaper—escaping the pattern that confined her, which is a metaphor for the restrictive roles forced upon women.
Gilman's work is an indictment of the patriarchal medical practices and societal norms of her time. It underscores the negative impact of those practices on women's mental health and criticizes the economic and emotional dependency of women on men. Gilman's own experiences with depression and the debilitating effects of the rest cure prescribed to her resonate through the story, painting a vivid picture of a woman's struggle for autonomy and self-expression.