The Yellow Wallpaper Questions on John
The Yellow Wallpaper
John's fainting and the narrator's creeping in "The Yellow Wallpaper."
In "The Yellow Wallpaper," John's fainting and the narrator's creeping symbolize the culmination of the narrator's mental breakdown and the complete reversal of traditional gender roles. John's...
The Yellow Wallpaper
The Yellow Wallpaper Ending
At the end of "The Yellow Wallpaper," the narrator breaks with reality, realizing that she is the trapped woman she believes she has seen in the wallpaper in her room. When her husband enters the...
The Yellow Wallpaper
Why are the characters in "The Yellow Wallpaper" living in a colonial mansion?
John and his wife, the story's narrator, are living in the colonial mansion so that the wife can recover from postpartum depression. All we learn of the history of the house is that it has been empty...
The Yellow Wallpaper
Critical approaches to "The Yellow Wallpaper" and how to write a response
To write a response to "The Yellow Wallpaper," consider exploring critical approaches such as feminist theory, which examines the story as a critique of the oppression of women, or psychoanalytic...
The Yellow Wallpaper
Key elements, devices, conventions, and terms in "The Yellow Wallpaper"
"The Yellow Wallpaper" employs several key literary devices, including epistolary style, irony, and an unreliable narrator. The story is presented through Jane's journal entries, showcasing her...
The Yellow Wallpaper
What are two names the narrator's husband uses for her in The Yellow Wallpaper?
In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the narrator's husband refers to her as a "blessed little goose" and a "little girl." These terms reflect his patronizing attitude, treating her as a child rather than...
The Yellow Wallpaper
Why won't John renovate the house in "The Yellow Wallpaper"?
John won't renovate the house or replace the wallpaper in "The Yellow Wallpaper" because that would run counter to his belief that the narrator's apparent illness is all in her own head. He thinks...
The Yellow Wallpaper
What name does John use for his wife in "The Yellow Wallpaper"?
John calls his wife hysterical in "The Yellow Wallpaper." As both a man and a doctor, his instinctive reaction is to attach this label to his wife when she is suffering from depression following the...
The Yellow Wallpaper
Is Gilman suggesting that John and his wife are sexually inactive and John is having affairs?
Gilman does not explicitly suggest that John and his wife are sexually inactive or that John is having affairs. The story highlights a lack of communication and emotional disconnect between the...
The Yellow Wallpaper
Does Anne have another perspective of her husband, John, beyond being careful and loving?
Anne perceives her husband John initially as careful and loving, but her view shifts as her mental state worsens. The story reveals dramatic and verbal irony, suggesting John's actions are more...