This song captures the emotions of feeling trapped in a relationship. Although the woman in the short story never actually leaves her controlling husband, we can assume that if she were to finally escape the abuse cycle, she would feel “Happier Than Ever”. This song encapsulates the transformation from passive suffering to explosive self-assertion. The line “When I’m away from you, I’m happier than ever” echoes the narrator’s growing resentment toward her husband and the oppressive environment he forces on her.
The narrator clings to some sense of normalcy even as she spirals. This song’s almost sarcastic tone and melancholy
melody mirrors the narrator’s denial, instability, and slow unraveling. The speaker’s repeated line “I just feel like I’m not prepared for this” resonates deeply with the narrator’s psychological descent.
This song expresses regret and misplaced responsibility in a toxic dynamic—mirroring how the narrator internalizes
blame and confusion over her mental decline. The song’s lyrics and title underscore the shifting sense of self within the Narrator.
A little satirical but I had to include it. This song blurs the line between madness and clarity, just like the narrator’s descent. The chorus “Does that make me crazy?” feels like a direct echo of the narrator’s voice as she questions her own mind while sensing that others are blind to the truth she sees.
This frantic and chaotic composition mirrors the racing, frenzied, and fast-paced thoughts and erratic behavior
near the end of the story. It evokes the sense of impairment, entrapment, and instability which is exactly how
the narrator feels in the story – buzzing with madness.
This haunting, intimate song deals with the fragility of identity and the weight of being seen. It echoes the narrator’s
desire to be understood and her eventual merging with the woman she sees in the wallpaper—her body no longer her own identity fractured and fluid.
A sarcastic, dreamy tune about control and disconnection. It captures the male gaze and control that permeates The
Yellow Wallpaper, especially in the line “You’re not allowed to be alone with me.” The narrator is infantilized and
constantly monitored, denied basic autonomy.
A requiem for the self. This piece is what I think of as the perfect piece to symbolize a descent into madness. By the end of The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator has spiraled into insanity and this dramatic, mournful composition underscores the psychological and emotional death of the character.
This minimal yet haunting piece is slow, with a soft piano accompaniment. The slow, almost dreary pace of the song
evokes a sense of sadness, loneliness, and could mirror the narrator’s days in confinement. The repetition and simplicity within the piece create a sense of unease within the listener and is parallel to the unease the narrator feels as she becomes obsessed with the wallpaper.
Dreamy and melancholy, this piece can almost give off eerie vibes. This piece reflects the almost dissociative tone and although the narrator is floating in a world of denial and mania. It can also be seen as a gut-wrenching piece to capture the pain women feel today to male oppression.
We Have Always Lived in a Castle
Shostakovich’s waltz is simultaneously playful and unsettling — it dances on the edge of madness,
like Merricat herself. There’s a carnival-esque darkness that mirrors the dissonance between Merricat’s
childlike imagination and her darker impulses.
This intense and tragic piece embodies the psychological and emotional weight of the story. It
reflects internal chaos, mourning, and the traumatic aftermath of violence. It could represent the unspeakable
horrors that haunt Merricat and Constance.
Suggests mystery, secrets, and inner sanctums — much like the sisters’ home, filled with rituals,
memories, and unspoken truths. It complements Merricat’s mind: layered, guarded, and deeply personal.
Tension, curiosity, and danger — much like when Charles enters the Blackwood home, disrupting
Merricat’s carefully ordered world. This track could score the moments when the outside world presses in.
From the movie Coraline, it gives off the feel of hidden mysteries.
The title (“Solitude”) speaks for itself. The composition is solemn with a hint of eeriness and has
dark undertones. It reflects the isolation in such a grand estate where Merricat resides.
This song tells the tale of obsession, control, and hidden identities. Merricat can be seen as a
phantom-like figure, haunting the house, controlling her environment through superstition and fear. The
music’s drama and darkness underscore the novel’s gothic horror elements.
This ethereal sounding track relays a feeling of isolation and other-worldly detachment -perfect for
the Blackwood sisters’ eerie, suspended-in-time existence. It could be a sonic representation of Constance —
trapped in a world she didn’t choose, but resigned to it.
This song gives off the experience of being in a jazz club that’s dark and smoky. Or the feeling of
someone creepily looking at you, a sense of paranoia. It plays into the novel’s dark irony — the idea of
separation and reunion under tragic or disturbing circumstances. It could reflect Merricat’s obsession with
keeping her sister close, no matter what.
This piece evokes nostalgia, loss, and a bit of disassociation. It ties into those same feelings the
Blackwood sisters feel as their past chronically haunts them. The lyricism (even if instrumental) carries the
idea of ghosts of memory, which fits the story’s atmosphere of grief and the haunting past.
This piece has hints of being whimsical and lighthearted. As if someone were walking through a
field of wildflowers. However, the specific notes give off a sense of impending doom. This waltz reflects the fragile
fantasy world the Merricat creates to protect herself and her sister. Its lightness holds an undertone of sadness – much like Merricat’s own daydreams to conceal her trauma and instability.
Jane Eyre
This song parallels Jane’s relationship with Mr. Rochester, particularly the disillusionment she feels when she learns of Bertha. Phoebe sings of someone who messed with her head and left her disoriented—much like how Jane feels when Rochester’s duplicity is revealed. The sarcastic detachment in the lyrics echoes Jane’s refusal to be
emotionally manipulated and her strong sense of moral integrity.
This song reflects Jane’s journey from a girl constantly criticized for her appearance and emotions to a woman who learns to value herself. The song’s quiet strength mirrors Jane’s reclaiming of her identity, especially after she leaves Thornfield.
This connects with Jane’s lack of a maternal figure and how she forges her own identity in the absence of one. The song’s bittersweet tone captures the longing and loss Jane often feels as an orphan.
This feels like Jane in the moors, post-Thornfield, when she’s emotionally gutted and wandering. The lyrics about trying to reach someone who’s unreachable reflect both her longing for Rochester and her realization that she
can’t lose herself to be with him. It’s also the emotional isolation she carries throughout her life.
This speaks to the intoxicating yet dangerous attraction Jane feels for Rochester. The metaphor of a “firearm” suggests how love can be both thrilling and destructive—just like her experience with him. The song channels that kind of love that threatens your sense of self, which Jane ultimately resists.
This could reflect Jane’s early feelings for Rochester, especially during their quiet, emotionally charged
moments. She often withholds how she feels, afraid of being hurt or cast aside. The awkward, yearning energy of this song maps well onto the push and pull of their courtship.
This instrumental captures Jane’s inner world—her longing, dignity, and romanticism. It could underscore her childhood scenes, her moral struggles, or the final bittersweet reunion. The piece is delicate yet haunting, much like Jane’s emotional landscape.
This song fits the broader arc of Jane and Rochester’s love story: one marked by separation, sacrifice, and
eventual reunion. It captures the sadness of people who love each other deeply but must part for the sake of growth, only to find their way back.
This song feels like what Rochester wants to offer Jane, especially after their reunion. It represents the
vulnerability they eventually reach—when Jane returns not as a subordinate but as an equal. The dreamlike tone also this song feels like what Rochester wants to offer Jane, especially after their reunion. It represents the
vulnerability they eventually reach—when Jane returns not as a subordinate but as an equal. The dreamlike tone also captures Jane’s ideal of love: not dominating or obsessive, but safe and mutual.
This song mirrors Jane’s realization of Bertha. She’s been in a house where a ghost still haunts and yet she
remains with Mr. Rochester after the realization, she will forever dance with another woman.
Extra
Click below to access a song composed by Nathan Unger that perfectly encapsulates the female gothic!
