“The Yellow Wallpaper” ”

1. “The Yellow Wallpaper”” By: Charlotte Perkins Gilman

2. Writers Background: • Similar to the woman in The Yellow Wallpaper: • The author suffered from severe nervous breakdown • She stated: “I wrote The Yellow Wallpaper, with its embellishments and additions, to carry out the ideal (I never had hallucinations or objections to my mural decorations)”

3. The Writer’s other works: • Some other works include: • The dress of Women • With her in Ourland • What Diantha Did • Her works expressed challenges women faced in the 19th century • Themes included: husband and wife, dependence of women & men, female individuality

4. Summary: • The narrator, her husband John, their baby and her sister-in-law move into a mansion they have rented for the summer for three months. The narrator's husband is a physician. The narrator believes she is sick but her husband believes she is just suffering from "temporary nervous depression." The narrator is a writer but is forbidden to work because her husband thinks that she just needs rest. In the mansion, she stays in a "big, airy room" with ugly yellow wallpaper.

5. Technical Details about the story: • Setting: taken place in a house on the country side. • Characters: Narrator(Jane), John(Husband), and Jennie. • Point of View: First person narration • Plot Structure: • Exposition: introduction of the house, the narrator and her husband • Rising Action: She imagines a woman trapped within the wallpaper. • Climax: The narrator strips off the wallpaper. • Falling action: The narrator tells John where the keys are. • Resolution: John finally unlocks the room and sees what she has done.

6. Themes: • Themes: • Female Individuality • Dependence of women • Female to male behavior • Women being put second in marriage

7. Significant Quotes in the story: •   “It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby!” • “ I don't know why I should write this.         I don't want to. I don't feel able” • I think that woman gets out in the daytime!        And I'll tell you why--privately--I've seen her!        I can see her out of every one of my windows! • “I always lock the door when I creep by daylight “ •   "I've got out at last," said I, "in spite of you and Jane. And I've pulled off most of the paper, so you can't put me back!"

8. Special Topics: • Irony: Dramatic and situational • Symbolism: • The “yellow wallpaper” • Nursery: The nursery is said to represent the 19th century society's view of woman • Sunlight and moonlight: Sunlight represents oppression and moonlight represents freedom. • Binaries: • Male vs. female • Freedom Vs. Confinement