Yellow Wallpaper General Analysis

Question 1

Core Characters (5)

Answer 1

Jane - Narrator, a symbol of woman in the Victorian era
John - the husband, typical man in the victorian era, represents society
Jennie, the sister
Mary - wet nurse, needed someone else to take care of the baby

Question 2

Victorian Era (4)

Answer 2

• Strict Social Roles and Expectations: duties and motherhood, no opportunity to pursue careers/ambition
• Limited legal and economic rights: married woman had limited control over property, finances, legally owned by husbands, lack of education around business and finance made this worse
• social and cultural restraints: deviation from accepted norms led to social ostracism, woman’s valued undervalued.
• misunderstanding and stigmatization: mental health poorly understood and heavily stigmatized, linked to moral failing, lack of discipline, hereditary weakness. Were often hidden away.