Premium Essay

The Yellow Wallpaper Literary Analysis

Submitted By
Words 799
Pages 4
As Gilman loses touch with herself and the outer world, she starts to realize her reality of her life. In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, a women suffers from postpartum depression and is prescribe the resting cure. As she is doing what her husband, an outstanding doctor, has told her to do, she becomes increasingly depressed and soon this results in her losing her insanity. As she losses her way of expressing herself and is doing what the doctor says, she is expected to conform to the doctor and the world around her. In the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman she illustrates women’s struggles through this story by using symbolism, theme, and irony.

The wallpaper is a symbol used throughout “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The author states, “The color is repellant, almost revolting; a smoldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight” (649). The way this is worded can …show more content…
“The Yellow Wallpaper” is ironic in some way or another. According to this article “(Sarcasm—which this example embodies—is a form of verbal irony.) In her journal, the narrator uses verbal irony often, especially in reference to her husband” (Themes, Motifs, and Symbols). Gillman does use a lot of irony in throughout the story in many ways taking about her husband. For example ““John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage.” Obviously, one expects no such thing, at least not in a healthy marriage”(649). Gillman uses irony in this by the sarcasm of the two sentences. The use of irony throughout the story is one of the reasons it is such a great work. She also uses it to make her self less concerned about her case of post partum depression. The irony used in this story covers many different thing from sarcasm to using it to make her self less concern. It is one of the most important devices used in the writing of “The Yellow

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper

...known feminist writers and social reformers. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” Gilman uses exaggerated literary elements such as setting, symbolism, and character to illustrate the dangers of the mistreatment and disregard of female intelligence during the early 19th century. Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born on July 3, 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut. Gilman grew up in Providence, Rhode Island with her mother after having been abandoned by her father. Gilman’s mother refused to show any form of comfort or affection towards her daughter because her mother believed that this made women weak and did not want that for Charlotte. Gilman’s mother however would, on rare occasion, caress her daughter while...

Words: 1413 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Literary Anaysyst of the Yellow Wallpaper

...Analysis on “The Yellow Wallpaper” Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born on July 3, 1860, in Hartford, Connecticut. Gilman was a writer and social activist during the late 1800s and early 1900s. She had a tough childhood. Her father, Frederick Beecher Perkins, but he abandoned the family, leaving Charlotte's mother to raise two children on her own. Gilman moved around a lot as a result and her education suffered greatly for it. Gilman married Charles Stetson in 1884 and the couple had a daughter named Katherine. Sometime during her ten year marriage to Stetson, Gilman experienced a severe depression and suffered a series of uncommon treatments for it. This experience is believed to have inspired her to the short story "The Yellow Wall-Paper" (1892). The story takes the form of undisclosed journal entries written by a woman who is supposed to be recovering from what her husband, a physician, calls a "temporary nervous depression”. This haunting psychological horror story chronicles the narrator's descent into madness, or perhaps depending on your interpretation, into freedom. The author’s use of setting, conflict and point of view, provide this short story with the drama needed to capture the reader’s attention. The author begins the story using the key element setting to keep the readers mind in a constant roam. The narrator's view of the setting is colored by her limited and troubled perspective. She sees the yellow wallpaper in the room as a mostly evil and troubling...

Words: 760 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

"The Yellow Wallpaper" Analysis

...Rachael Paige 6/14/15 Introduction to Literature Writing Assignment 1 “The Yellow Wallpaper” Analysis After reading the short story again, my views of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman have stayed mostly consistent with a few deviations from my original reaction. I’ve read the story with a more focused desire on understanding it much more in depth than the first time. I tried to pick up on some more literary details like the tools Gilman uses to tell the story; theme, irony and the symbolism. I’ve also looked into the character John, the narrator’s husband, once more to better understand him. “The Yellow Wallpaper” was a short story that showcased the troubles of women in marriage, the evils of depression, and the importance of independence. The author, Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses theme and symbolism in great volumes to portray her ideas. First, to break down the meaning of the title and essentially the room the narrator is “caged” into, the author uses great symbolism and imagery. The yellow of the wallpaper is very dingy and gross, the color yellow even symbolizes decay, rotting, violence, and approach of death. Choosing this color not only characterizes the way the wallpaper already appears, but foreshadows the way the narrator feels by the end of the story. The walls of the room are barriers both physically and emotionally for the narrator; walls are typically symbols of barriers between people or barriers that shut out the world. Together...

Words: 1221 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Lit Analysis of "The Yellow Wallpaper"

...Michelle Feldner English 1302 March 28, 2013 Literary Analysis Essay At first glance, “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story can be confusing to read. You may think you are reading about a woman who is losing her mind, or as the narrators husband says “there is nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression”(9), but in all actuality it’s about a woman who is suffering from post partum depression. Even though the plot of this story is based around her illness, there is another objective to the story, to deliver a completely unrelated message. Gilman seeks instead to evoke a message of individual expression and successfully does so by recording the progression of the illness, through the state of the wallpaper. In the story it’s apparent that the women allows herself to be inferior to men, particularly her husband, John. John is a physician and he orders her to not do anything, simply to rest. “Personally I disagree with their ideas,” she writes. ”Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good. But what is one to do?”(12-14) This statement shows her lack of self-confidence and feeling of inferiority. She is very accepting that her thoughts and opinions do not count. She belittles herself throughout the story several more times. Many people, in our society today, go through not being able to speak up for themselves with doctors. Although one knows what makes themselves feel better, but they...

Words: 671 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

The Yellow Wallpaper, Woman's Journey from Subservience to Freedom

...Alex Moraga Professor Dreiling English 102 21, June 2014 Opinion Essay Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “ The Yellow Wallpaper” A Woman’s Journey from Subservience to Freedom Are male and female minds created equal? Charlotte Perkins Gilman shows us the ideals towards women, held by society in the late 1800’s. Her story, “The Yellow Wallpaper”, written in the first person point of view, takes us on a journey through the mind of the narrator. The narrator secretly writes in a diary and as we read through her diary entries, we are able to see that during this time in history, women were seen as weak, meek and humble. They were expected to be subservient to men and unequal to their male counterparts in all aspects. Men are seen as being superior to women and godlike. As we read the diary we are looking into her mind, we see how she thinks and how she is expected to think. We meet her as a subservient woman who obeys and believes in her husband. By the end of the journey she has freed herself mentally and shows us that men can be weak. “The Yellow Wallpaper”, is a story of a woman’s mental journey to freedom. From the very beginning of the story the narrator gives us insight into her mind. In today’s times we would view her ability to wonder and question as creative. During these times, her inquisitive mind was seen as an illness. The narrator and her husband are off to a summer getaway. The summer getaway was really a “cure” prescribed...

Words: 2110 - Pages: 9

Free Essay

Fdsa

...Literature – SYLLABUS Campbell University –RTP Campus Prerequisites: English 101 Instructor: Susan Doody Term: Spring II March 13- May1 Phone: 919.661-8414 Evenings: Tuesday (BLENDED) Time: 5:15-7:30 pm E-mail: doodys@campbell.edu OR lovetoteach48@yahoo.com COURSE REQUIREMENTS Course Description: A course designed to enhance reading, writing, research, and critical thinking skills directed toward literary analysis. Prerequisite: English 101. Required Texts: • Backpack Literature: An Intro to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing, X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia, eds., 4th ed. • Aaron, Jane E. LB Brief. 4th ed., Boston: Longman, 2010. Learning Outcomes: Goals: English 102 is designed to “enhance writing, research, and reading skills directed toward literary analysis.” Therefore, the student will learn to read carefully and critically by analyzing the elements of literature—plot, theme, characterization, etc. through class discussion, short papers and research. Since analysis is key to this course, class participation is imperative. Expectations of Students: Students are expected to participate in all phases of the class, including discussions, both in class and on the Bd discussion board. Required readings must be completed before class. Homework and other assignments are due on the dates noted in the "Assignments" of Blackboard. Specific pages and due dates will be posted there. All students are subject...

Words: 1464 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Las Vegas

...Education - ADHD, Learning, Philosophy of Education, Privatization, Public Schools, School Violence, School Vouchers, Teaching, Technology and Education, Test and Testing, Writing English Composition Essays - Analitical, Autobiographical, Argument, Cause/Effect, Classification, Compare/Contrast, Comparison, Conversation, Creative+Writing, Critical, Deductive, Definition, Descriptive, Description, Dialog, Division, Exploratory, Expository, Informative, Interview, Inquiry, Journalistic, Narration, Observation. Personal Narrative, Place, Profile, Process, Proposal English Literature and Literary Analysis - Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, A & P, Antigone, Apocalypse Now, Araby, The Awakening, Barn Burning, Beowulf, Beloved, Bible, Birthmark, Blade Runner, The Bluest Eye, Candide, Canterbury Tales, Catcher in the Rye, Cathedral, Chrysanthemums, A Clockwork Orange, The Color Purple, Comparing Literary Works, Crime and Punishment, Death of a Salesman, Death in Venice, Desiree's Baby, A Doll's House, Dr. Faustus, Epic of Gilgamesh, Everyday Use, A Farewell to Arms, Frankenstein, The Grapes of Wrath, Great Gatsby, Great Expectations, Glass Menagerie, Gulliver's Travels, The Handmaid's Tale, Heart of Darkness, The Iliad, Invisible Man, Jane Eyre, The Joy Luck Club, The Lottery, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, Metamorphosis, My Antonia, My Papa's Waltz, Neuromancer, The Odyssey, Oedipus Rex, On the Road, Oresteia, Paradise Lost, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Portrait of the Artist...

Words: 503 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Independent

...Some definitions of literary devices, techniques and style from searching via http://www.ferretsoft.com/ LITERARY DEVICES http://mrbraiman.home.att.net/lit.htm   Literary devices refers to any specific aspect of literature, or a particular work, which we can recognize, identify, interpret and/or analyze. Both literary elements and literary techniques can rightly be called literary devices.   Literary elements refers to aspects or characteristics of a whole text. They are not “used,” per se, by authors; we derive what they are from reading the text. Most literary elements can be derived from any and all texts; for example, every story has a theme, every story has a setting, every story has a conflict, every story is written from a particular point-of-view, etc. In order to be discussed legitimately, literary elements must be specifically identified for that text.   Literary techniques refers to any specific, deliberate constructions of language which an author uses to convey meaning. An author’s use of a literary technique usually occurs with a single word or phrase, or a particular group of words or phrases, at one single point in a text. Unlike literary elements, literary techniques are not necessarily present in every text.   Literary terms refers to the words themselves with which we identify and describe literary elements and techniques. They are not found in literature and they are not “used” by authors.     Allegory:...

Words: 4700 - Pages: 19

Free Essay

Book Discussion

...English  175-­‐02:  Introduction  to  Literary  Genres     Instructor:  Aaron  Schab   aschab@uidaho.edu   209  Brink  Hall   Department  of  English   University  of  Idaho     Course  Meets:     Life  Sciences  South  163   Monday/Wednesday/Friday   9:30  am  –  10:20  am   January  9,  2013  –  May  10,  2013   Course  Description   In  this  class,  we  will  learn  about  the  basic  conventions  and  terms  used  to  understand  and  discuss  the   three  major  genres  of  literature:  fiction,  poetry,  and  drama.  This  class  will  help  you  understand  the   sometimes  baffling  world  of  literature,  and  is  intended  to  provide  the  general  student  with  basic   experience  in  literary  analysis.  Additionally,  I  hope  this  class  will  lead  you  to  a  lifelong  appreciation  for   (and  engagement  with)  reading  literature.   Although  this  class  features  extensive  reading  and  writing,  it  is  not  necessary  for  you  to  be  a  bookworm   or  a  writing  superstar  to  succeed  in  this  class  –  if  you ...

Words: 4621 - Pages: 19

Free Essay

Aavvvvvvva

...Kunslerroman c)Stream of conciousness c)Focus on inner time rather than outer time d)Search for identity e)Treatment of religion f)Treatment of sexuality Conclusion James Joyce (from February 2, 1882 to January 13, 1941) was one of the most preeminent Irish authors of the 20th century. He is known for his literary innovation strictly focused narrative and indirect style. James Joyce matriculated from University College of Dublin in 1903. After moving to Paris, Joyce planned on studying medicine. The lectures were conducted in a technical French but Joyce’s education had not prepared him for it. Despite his mother’s attempts to get him to return to Catholic Church, Joyce remained unmoved even after her death. Joyce studied at Clongowes Wood College from 1888 until 1892. When the family’s financial state devolved, Joyce had to leave the school. After a brief time at Christian Brothers School, Joyce was enrolled at Belvedere College in 1893. In 1898, Joyce began studying Italian, English and French at University College Dublin. At this time, Joyce also began his entry into the artistic life of Dublin. His literary reviews appeared in Fortnightly Review. His review of Henrik Ibsen received a positive personal response from Ibsen himself. In addition to his reviews, he also wrote some pieces of drama that have since been lost. The writings of James Joyce include Chamber Music, Dubliners, The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses, Exiles...

Words: 9723 - Pages: 39

Premium Essay

Cyrus the Great

...critical theory today critical theory today A Us e r - F r i e n d l y G u i d e S E C O N D E D I T I O N L O I S T Y S O N New York London Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 270 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Routledge Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square Milton Park, Abingdon Oxon OX14 4RN © 2006 by Lois Tyson Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business Printed in the United States of America on acid‑free paper 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 International Standard Book Number‑10: 0‑415‑97410‑0 (Softcover) 0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) International Standard Book Number‑13: 978‑0‑415‑97410‑3 (Softcover) 978‑0‑415‑97409‑7 (Hardcover) No part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced, transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers. Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data Tyson, Lois, 1950‑ Critical theory today : a user‑friendly guide / Lois Tyson.‑‑ 2nd ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0‑415‑97409‑7 (hb) ‑‑ ISBN 0‑415‑97410‑0 (pb) 1. Criticism...

Words: 221284 - Pages: 886

Free Essay

English

...TOPICAL VOCABULARY 1. GENERAL TERMINOLOGY amateur - любитель an amateur painter - художник-любитель; amateurish-любительский art - искусство antique art - античной иск; applied art- прикладное иск(pottery-гончарное дело, glass, jewellery, weaving - тканное дело and textile design, embroidery-вышивание); Fine Arts - изобразительное искусство; folk art - народное искусство; graphic (black-and-white) art (drawing, engraving-гравирование, etching-гравировка, lithography-литография, hence: engraver-гравер, etcher, lithographer); (the) Academy of Arts; a work of art - произведение искусства; art-collector-коллекционер; art critic - знаток иск; art history; art historian-; art-lover-; art student - студент, обучающийся живописи; art teacher - преподаватель живописи artist-художник a fashionable / self-taught / mature artist a graphic artist e.g. Rembrandt was great not only as a painter but as a graphic artist. Note. The name of an artist can be used like a common noun to denote a work by him. e.g. It looks like a Gauguin. How did you like the Goya? The Hermitage has the largest collection of Rembrandts in the world. artistic artistic skill-артистические способности; artistic taste-артистические наклонности benefactor, patron-благодетель, покровитель block (in/out) набрасывать вчерне to block in a picture (drawing) connoisseur (in/of) эксперт, expert (in) crayon 1) цветной карандаш; цветной мелок; пастель; 2) рисунок...

Words: 15186 - Pages: 61

Premium Essay

Reading a Novel in 1950-2000

...Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 i RTNA01 1 13/6/05, 5:28 PM READING THE NOVEL General Editor: Daniel R. Schwarz The aim of this series is to provide practical introductions to reading the novel in both the British and Irish, and the American traditions. Published Reading the Modern British and Irish Novel 1890–1930 Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Daniel R. Schwarz Brian W. Shaffer Forthcoming Reading the Eighteenth-Century Novel Paula R. Backscheider Reading the Nineteenth-Century Novel Harry E. Shaw and Alison Case Reading the American Novel 1780–1865 Shirley Samuels Reading the American Novel 1865–1914 G. R. Thompson Reading the Twentieth-Century American Novel James Phelan ii RTNA01 2 13/6/05, 5:28 PM Reading the Novel in English 1950–2000 Brian W. Shaffer iii RTNA01 3 13/6/05, 5:28 PM © 2006 by Brian W. Shaffer BLACKWELL PUBLISHING 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148-5020, USA 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK 550 Swanston Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia The right of Brian W. Shaffer to be identified as the Author of this Work has been asserted in accordance with the UK Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, except as permitted by the UK Copyright, Designs, and...

Words: 123617 - Pages: 495

Free Essay

Asda

...Name: |Date: | |Graded Assignment First Semester Final Exam Directions • Mark your answers to the multiple-choice questions on the answer sheet at the end of the multiple-choice section. Use a black or blue pen. • Remember to complete the submission information on every page you turn in. Multiple-Choice Questions (1 hour) Section 1 consists of selections from prose works and questions about their content, form, and style. Questions 1-10. Read the following passage, from "The Yellow Wallpaper," by Charlote Perkins Gilman (1899) carefully before you choose your answers. You may refer to the passage as often as necessary while answering the questions. It is very seldom that mere ordinary people like John and myself secure ancestral halls for the summer. A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house and reach the height of romantic felicity—but that would be asking too much of fate! Still I will proudly declare that there is something queer about it. Else, why should it be let so cheaply? And why have stood so long untenanted? John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage. John is practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things not to be felt and seen and put down in figures. John is a physician, and perhaps—(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)—perhaps...

Words: 10762 - Pages: 44

Premium Essay

Hidden Persuader

...Vance Packard With an Introduction by Mark Crispin Miller PUBLISHING Brooklyn, New York Copyright © 1957, 1980 by Vance Packard Originally published by Pocket Books, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc. Introduction Copyright 2007© by Mark Crispin Miller All rights reserved. Printed in Canada Reissue Edition 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner without written permission of the publisher. Please direct inquiries to: Ig Publishing 178 Clinton Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205 www.igpub.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Packard, Vance Oakley, 1914The hidden persuaders / Vance Packard ; [new] introduction by Mark Crispin Miller. p. cm. Originally published in 1957 by McKay and reissued in 1980 by Pocket Books with a new afterword. ISBN-13: 978-0-9788431-0-6 ISBN-10: 0-9788431-0-X 1. Advertising--Psychological aspects. 2. Consumers--Psychology. 3. Advertising, Political. 4. Propaganda. 5. Control (Psychology) I. Title. HF5822.P3 2007 659.101'9--dc22 2007027043 To Virginia CONTENTS Introduction by Mark Crispin Miller 1. The Depth Approach PERSUADING US AS CONSUMERS Z. The Trouble With People 3. So Ad Men become Depth Men 4. ....And The Hooks Are Lowered 5. Self-Images for Everybody 6. RX for Our Secret Distresses 1. Marketing Eight Hidden Needs 8. The Built-In Sexual Overtone 9. Back to the Breast, and Beyond 10. Babes In Consumerland 11. Class and Caste in the Salesroom 12. Selling Symbols...

Words: 85598 - Pages: 343