Plot & Characters
Who is the main character in The Story of an Hour?
(Answer: Louise Mallard or Mrs. Mallard)
What central theme do both stories share?
(Answer: Oppression of women in marriage and society)
What object in The Yellow Wallpaper symbolizes the narrator’s confinement?
(Answer: The wallpaper itself)
In what year was the 19th Amendment passed, granting women the right to vote?
(Answer: 1920)
Which literary device is used when doctors claim Louise died of “the joy that kills”?
(Answer: Situational irony)
Who prescribes the narrator in The Yellow Wallpaper the “rest cure”?
(Answer: John)
Which theme from The Yellow Wallpaper critiques medical treatment of women?
(Answer: The harmful effects of the “rest cure”)
In The Story of an Hour, what physical condition of Louise is symbolic of her vulnerability?
(Answer: Her heart trouble)
Which author wrote The Yellow Wallpaper based on her personal experience with the rest cure?
(Answer: Charlotte Perkins Gilman)
Why is it ironic that Louise had recently wished for a short life?
A: Because once she desires a long, free life, she suddenly dies.
What shocking event occurs at the end of The Story of an Hour?
(Answer: Mr. Mallard returns alive, and Louise dies)
In The Story of an Hour, which theme does Chopin emphasize as making life worth living?
(Answer: Freedom/independence)
What do the “bars” in The Yellow Wallpaper represent?
(Answer: Society’s restrictions on women)
What real-life medical practice of the late 19th century restricted women’s activities when they were “nervous” or “depressed”?
(Answer: The rest cure)
How does Chopin use irony overall to critique marriage in the 19th century?
A: Through situational and dramatic irony, Chopin shows that marriage can feel like a prison, and society misunderstands women’s desires for independence.
Who is Jenny in The Yellow Wallpaper?
(Answer: John’s sister, who helps care for the narrator)
In The Yellow Wallpaper, what literary theme is conveyed through the creeping woman?
(Answer: Women’s repression and desire for freedom)
Which literary device is used when doctors claim Louise died of “the joy that kills”?
(Answer: Situational irony)
What does Josephine believe Louise is doing alone in her room, and why is this dramatic irony?
A: Josephine thinks Louise is grieving herself sick, but the audience knows she is rejoicing in her freedom.
What narrative structure technique does Chopin use most clearly to convey theme in The Story of an Hour?
(Answer: Contrast between Mrs. Mallard’s private thoughts (internal monologue) and others’ perceptions)
What does Louise whisper under her breath after realizing her husband is dead?
(Answer: “Free, free, free!”)
What theme about love and marriage is reinforced in The Story of an Hour when Louise admits she sometimes loved her husband, but often she did not?
(Answer: Love cannot compensate for a lack of self-fulfillment)
What does the narrator’s act of tearing down the wallpaper symbolize?
(Answer: Her rebellion and attempt to free herself/other women)
Why is it ironic that Louise feels joy when she hears of her husband’s death?
A: Because society expects her to grieve, but instead she feels free and happy.
In The Yellow Wallpaper, why does Gilman use repetition of words like “creeping” and “creep”?
To mirror the narrator’s obsession and to emphasize the growing intensity of her mental breakdown.