Elements of Fiction – “The Yellow Wallpaper”

answer the question in the attachment 

“The Yellow Wallpaper” Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Tidbits about the story: (This is just for you to read. No answer required.)

· Written in response to the “rest cure”

· During the first 10 years after publication, seen as horror writing and firmly affixed to gothic literature

· However, after 1960, seen as demonstrating 19th century attitudes toward women’s physical and mental health

· According to Gilman, “It was not intended to drive people crazy, but to save people from being driven crazy, and it worked.”

Plot (fill in the plot of the story)

Characters (tell who each character is and primary role in the story; designate who is the protagonist and antagonist of the story)

· The narrator

· John –

· The woman in the wallpaper –

· Mary –

· Jennie –

Setting (where and when does the story take place)

Point of view (fill in the blank)

· ___ person

Style, Tone, & Language (explain the following)

· Personification

· The use of “I” (1st person) allows the reader to experience what?

· Irony –

Theme (explain each of the themes in the story)

· Freedom and confinement –

· Mental health (madness) –

· Gender –

· Writing (as self-expression and catharsis) –

· Societal status and class structure –

Symbolism & Imagery (what do each of the following symbolize, or stand for?)

· Wallpaper’s pattern –

· The paper –

· Moonlight –

· The house –

· The bed –

Questions: Deep Thinking and Making Connections (answer the following questions)

1. At what point in the story has the narrator truly descended into madness?

2. What constitutes madness?

3. Do you agree or disagree with this statement: “The Yellow Wallpaper” critiques only the life of wealthy white women and excludes the plight of low-income and women of color.