On page 2, the narrator briefly mentions that there are bars on the only window she has in her room, “It is a big, airy room, the whole floor nearly, with windows that look all ways, and air and sunshine galore. It was nursery first and then playroom and gymnasium, I should judge; for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the
walls.” . Although it is a quick line, the barred windows symbolize how the narrator can not escape her house, husband, or the room itself. She is trapped in her room and the only glimpse of the outside world she has reminds her that she is a prisoner barred from experiencing what life might be like away from John. The bars also remind both the reader and the narrator of the prison connection that seems to be a reoccurring theme throughout the book and through close reading analysis. Though not explicitly stated, we see this metaphor play out throughout the book between how John locks her in the room, has the bed deadnailed, bars the windows, and does not allow her to leave. She is once again at his mercy and unable to make her own decisions. She can not even look out the window without being reminded that she is not in charge of her fate.
