Yellow Wallpaper Flashcards
what kind of woman is the narrator?
- delusional
- depressed
- nervous condition (diagnosed by husband & brother)
- in that time period she was just being a woman
- -cure is rest: fresh air is not good enough - overly sensitive
- thinks she has more wrong with her than just a nervous condition
- Jane can be said to have postpartum depression (in present day)
- not comfortable around her own baby
- Mary takes care of baby - sleeps a lot & wants to be left alone most of day
- when Jennie touches wall: paranoid and suspicious of Jennie and thinks she wants to get woman out of wall too
- fearful and afraid she’ll get caught writing
- they will put her behind wallpaper if she gets caught
author’s name and published date?
Charlotte Perkins Gilman
published 1892
what is relationship of narrator and her husband?
- very trusting of John in beginning. accepts his suggestion.
man is head of house in 1892 - fearful to tell John she is worse than he says
- John would be offended if Jane said something
- if she did he would not be respected as a dr. in community
what does john call jane?
- darling and little girl
- terms of belittling her
parent to child relationship
- she tells her what to do and she does it - blessed goose
- gooses are pretty but not intelligent (how John views her)
towards end does she still write in her journal?
- only a little bit and hides it when someone comes
- In 1892, women of this time did not publish literature
* they wrote under a pen name (usually a males name to be taken seriously)
- women treated like possessions, not taken seriously
relationship in 1892
- A- typical marriage (not traditional)
- jane can’t take care of her husband, child, or herself
- john is a doctor. well respected in community
Why does the narrator’s opinion of her husband and her sister-in-law change once she realizes there is a woman and the wallpaper?
She loses all trust and she’s paranoid they want to release the woman in the wallpaper
- writes more in Journal( still hides it, but takes her time to hide it. not afraid of getting caught in one)
- starting to lose her mind
- perception of reality is skewed why she takes paper off wall piece by piece thoughts skewed
- thinks Jennie and John are out to get her
-
question #4
Discuss the “woman” that the narrator sees behind the wallpaper.
The “woman” in the paper is Jane’s shadow.
question #4 b
Why does this woman appear more at night then during the day?
Jane doesn’t see her in the day because she’s medicated during the day
- comes more at night because medication has worn off and she doesn’t sleep
- Moon casts shadow of her onto wall
- sees woman more night because John sleeps in another room and can take another woman in if he wanted
Question 4c
Who does this woman represent?
Woman in wall represents Jane feeling trapped in wall as well she feels trapped by - room itself - baby - society - john - jennie - meds
question 5
Is this 1st person narrator reliable or unreliable? Why or why not? Because the narrator is a 1st person, does this help readers to have better understanding of the stories plot? Why or why not?
Narrator is the protagonist going on a journey (mentally emotionally physically). We will see her rise and fall narrator is reliable for basic info: - her husband and brother are doctors - is actually sick - can't have company - door usually locked - renting house for three months She is unreliable: - She sees a woman in the wall but the woman is her
Question 6
At the end of the story, why does the narrator equate herself to the woman in the wallpaper?
Jane gets key, locks door, and throws away the key.
- rips off last piece of wallpaper w/o any interruptions
- released woman into room (herself)
Question 6b
Does the narrator set herself free by the stories and? Is this “freedom” only in her mind or is it reality? Why or why not? What does letting the woman free represent?
Other women are also released from the wall
- these women are those who felt like they were repressed like her
- Jane start creeping/calling on all fours across floorboard
- John comes home she’s her crawling. He faints
- she continues her journey despite this and walks over John’s body
Is Jane successful at the end?
Jane is successful at the end, in her mind but not actually free in reality
- still in room w/ bars on windows
- married in 1892 who can’t fulfill roles of wife
- she will end up in a mental institution
what does letting women out of wallpaper represent?
jane’s (herself) freedom
- no actual rope was in room
rope symbolizes- she will still be trapped by society, husband, and jennie
–never really going to be free
