Recall & Plot
Why do the narrator and John go to the country house for the summer?
To allow the narrator to rest and recover her health
What does the narrator’s journal represent in her life?
Self-expression and personal autonomy
Which theme topic is shown through John controlling the narrator’s actions?
Oppression
Why is the story told in first-person point of view?
To show the narrator’s internal thoughts and mental decline
What power dynamic exists between John and the narrator?
John holds authority while the narrator lacks control
What is John’s profession, and why does it matter in the story?
He is a physician, which gives him authority over the narrator’s treatment
The bars on the windows symbolize what larger idea?
Confinement and lack of freedom
Gilman shows that ignoring emotional needs can worsen what?
Mental illness
How does the journal format affect the reader’s understanding of the narrator?
It shows gradual changes in her thinking
How does the setting contribute to the narrator’s mental state?
It increases isolation and distress
Which room does the narrator stay in, and why is it unsettling?
A former nursery with bars, a nailed-down bed, and disturbing wallpaper
Why is the nursery an ironic setting for the narrator?
It reflects her lack of independence and control/ it reflects how John treats her
How does the narrator’s fixation on the wallpaper connect to self-discovery?
It forces her to confront suppressed thoughts and identity
Which sense is most strongly appealed to through the wallpaper imagery?
Sight
How does John’s authority actually affect the narrator’s condition?
It worsens her mental health
What specific action does the narrator take with the wallpaper near the end of the story?
She tears it down
What does the yellow wallpaper itself symbolize?
Domestic confinement and loss of autonomy
The ending of the story suggests that oppression can lead to what outcome?
Psychological breakdown or rebellion
What does John’s patronizing tone reveal about his character?
He dismisses and minimizes the narrator
What does the narrator’s creeping at the end symbolize?
A breakdown paired with a sense of liberation
What behavior does the narrator hide from John throughout the story?
Her writing
The woman behind the wallpaper is best understood as representing what?
The narrator’s repressed identity and desire for freedom
What theme is emphasized by the narrator secretly continuing to write?
The importance of self-expression
Why does Gilman focus more on psychological tension than physical action?
To emphasize internal conflict and mental illness
What was Gilman’s main purpose in writing The Yellow Wallpaper?
To critique how oppression and dismissal affect women’s mental health