She can't be the woman she is because of the standards set by society at the time. Gilman gives the indication that the narrator's identity is purely what her husband wants it to be: his creativity and thinking are set aside. The narrator, Jane, is not tasked with doing anything or making any decisions on her own. Gilman's belief in the importance of being an individual is evident. The ending of "The Yellow Wallpaper" shows what a lack of individualism can affect the mental state of an otherwise sane person. Jane seems to go crazy due to the lack of an individual