Yellow wallpapersparknotes.docx

Yellow wallpapersparknotes.docx

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Yellowwallpapersparknotes

TheYellowWallpaper

CharlottePerkinsGilman

Context

CharlottePerkinsGilmanwasbestknowninhertimeasacrusadingjournalistandfeministintellectual,afollowerofsuchpioneeringwomen’srightsadvocatesasSusanB.Anthony,ElizabethCadyStanton,andHarrietBeecherStowe,Gilman’sgreat-aunt.Gilmanwasconcernedwithpoliticalinequalityandsocialjusticeingeneral,buttheprimaryfocusofherwritingwastheunequalstatusofwomenwithintheinstitutionofmarriage.InsuchworksasConcerningChildren（1900）,TheHome（1904）,andHumanWork（1904）,Gilmanarguedthatwomen’sobligationtoremaininthedomesticsphererobbedthemoftheexpressionoftheirfullpowersofcreativityandintelligence,whilesimultaneouslyrobbingsocietyofwomenwhoseabilitiessuitedthemforprofessionalandpubliclife.Anessentialpartofheranalysiswasthatthetraditionalpowerstructureofthefamilymadenoonehappy—notthewomanwhowasmadeintoanunpaidservant,notthehusbandwhowasmadeintoamaster,andnotthechildrenwhoweresubjecttoboth.Hermostambitiouswork,WomenandEconomics（1898）,analyzedthehiddenvalueofwomen’slaborwithinthecapitalisteconomyandargued,asGilmandidthroughoutherworks,thatfinancialindependenceforwomencouldonlybenefitsocietyasawhole.

Today,Gilmanisprimarilyknownforoneremarkablestory,“TheYellowWallpaper,”whichwasconsideredalmostunprintablyshockinginitstimeandwhichunnervesreaderstothisday.Thisshortworkoffiction,whichdealswithanunequalmarriageandawomandestroyedbyherunfulfilleddesireforself-expression,dealswiththesameconcernsandideasasGilman’snonfictionbutinamuchmorepersonalmode.Indeed,“TheYellowWallpaper”drawsheavilyonaparticularlypainfulepisodeinGilman’sownlife.

In1886,earlyinherfirstmarriageandnotlongafterthebirthofherdaughter,CharlottePerkinsStetson（asshewasthenknown）wasstrickenwithaseverecaseofdepression.Inher1935autobiography,TheLivingofCharlottePerkinsGilman,shedescribesher“utterprostration”by“unbearableinnermisery”and“ceaselesstears,”aconditiononlymadeworsebythepresenceofherhusbandandherbaby.ShewasreferredtoDr.S.WeirMitchell,thenthecountry’sleadingspecialistinnervousdisorders,whosetreatmentinsuchcaseswasa“restcure”offorcedinactivity.Especiallyinthecaseofhisfemalepatients,Mitchellbelievedthatdepressionwasbroughtonbytoomuchmentalactivityandnotenoughattentiontodomesticaffairs.ForGilman,thiscourseoftreatmentwasadisaster.Preventedfromworking,shesoonhadanervousbreakdown.Atherworst,shewasreducedtocrawlingintoclosetsandunderbeds,clutchingaragdoll.

OncesheabandonedMitchell’srestcure,Gilman’sconditionimproved,thoughsheclaimedtofeeltheeffectsoftheordealfortherestofherlife.Leavingbehindherhusbandandchild,ascandalousdecision,CharlottePerkinsStetson（shetookthenameGilmanafterasecondmarriage,tohercousin）embarkedonasuccessfulcareerasajournalist,lecturer,andpublisher.Shewrote“TheYellowWallpaper”soonafterhermovetoCalifornia,andinitsheusesherpersonalexperiencetocreateatalethatisbothachillingdescriptionofonewoman’sfallintomadnessandapotentsymbolicnarrativeofthefateofcreativewomenstifledbyapaternalisticculture.

Inpurelyliteraryterms,“TheYellowWallpaper”looksbacktothetraditionofthepsychologicalhorrortaleaspracticedbyEdgarAllanPoe.Forexample,Poe’s“TheTell-TaleHeart”isalsotoldfromthepointofviewofaninsanenarrator.Goingfurtherback,GilmanalsodrawsonthetraditionoftheGothicromancesofthelateeighteenthcentury,whichoftenfeaturedspookyoldmansionsandyoungheroinesdeterminedtouncovertheirsecrets.Gilman’sstoryisalsoforward-looking,however,andhermoment-by-momentreportingofthenarrator’sthoughtsisclearlyamoveinthedirectionofthesortofstream-of-consciousnessnarrationusedbysuchtwentieth-centurywritersasVirginiaWoolf,JamesJoyce,andWilliam Faulkner.

PlotOverview

Thenarratorbeginsherjournalbymarvelingatthegrandeurofthehouseandgroundsherhusbandhastakenfortheirsummervacation.Shedescribesitinromantictermsasanaristocraticestateorevenahauntedhouseandwondershowtheywereabletoaffordit,andwhythehousehadbeenemptyforsolong.Herfeelingthatthereis“somethingqueer”aboutthesituationleadsherintoadiscussionofherillness—sheissufferingfrom“nervousdepression”—andofhermarriage.ShecomplainsthatherhusbandJohn,whoisalsoherdoctor,belittlesbothherillnessandherthoughtsandconcernsingeneral.Shecontrastshispractical,rationalisticmannerwithherownimaginative,sensitiveways.Hertreatmentrequiresthatshedoalmostnothingactive,andsheisespeciallyforbiddenfromworkingandwriting.Shefeelsthatactivity,freedom,andinterestingworkwouldhelpherconditionandrevealsthatshehasbegunhersecretjournalinorderto“relievehermind.”Inanattempttodoso,thenarratorbeginsdescribingthehouse.Herdescriptionismostlypositive,butdisturbingelementssuchasthe“ringsandthings”inthebedroomwalls,andthebarsonthewindows,keepshowingup.Sheisparticularlydisturbedbytheyellowwallpaperinthebedroom,withitsstrange,formlesspattern,anddescribesitas“revolting.”Soon,however,herthoughtsareinterruptedbyJohn’sapproach,andsheisforcedtostopwriting.

Asthefirstfewweeksofthesummerpass,thenarratorbecomesgoodathidingherjournal,andthushidinghertruethoughtsfromJohn.Shecontinuestolongformorestimulatingcompanyandactivity,andshecomplainsagainaboutJohn’spatronizing,controllingways—althoughsheimmediatelyreturnstothewallpaper,whichbeginstoseemnotonlyugly,butoddlymenacing.ShementionsthatJohnisworriedaboutherbecomingfixatedonit,andthathehasevenrefusedtorepapertheroomsoasnottogiveintoherneuroticworries.Thenarrator’simagination,however,hasbeenaroused.ShementionsthatsheenjoyspicturingpeopleonthewalkwaysaroundthehouseandthatJohnalwaysdiscouragessuchfantasies.Shealsothinksbacktoherchildhood,whenshewasabletoworkherselfintoaterrorbyimaginingthingsinthedark.Asshedescribesthebedroom,whichshesaysmusthavebeenanurseryforyoungchildren,shepointsoutthatthepaperistornoffthewallinspots,therearescratchesandgougesinthefloor,andthefurnitureisheavyandfixedinplace.Justasshebeginstoseeastrangesub-patternbehindthemaindesignofthewallpaper,herwritingisinterruptedagain,thistimebyJohn’ssister,Jennie,whoisactingashousekeeperandnurseforthenarrator.

AstheFourthofJulypasses,thenarratorreportsthatherfamilyhasjustvisited,leavinghermoretiredthanever.JohnthreatenstosendhertoWeirMitchell,thereal-lifephysicianunderwhosecareGilmanhadanervousbreakdown.Thenarratorisalonemostofthetimeandsaysthatshehasbecomealmostfondofthewallpaperandthatattemptingtofigureoutitspatternhasbecomeherprimaryentertainment.Asherobsessiongrows,thesub-patternofthewallpaperbecomesclearer.Itbeginstoresembleawoman“stoopingdownandcreeping”behindthemainpattern,whichlookslikethebarsofacage.Wheneverthenarratortriestodiscussleavingthehouse,Johnmakeslightofherconcerns,effectivelysilencingher.Eachtimehedoesso,herdisgustedfascinationwiththepapergrows.

Soonthewallpaperdominatesthenarrator’simagination.Shebecomespossessiveandsecretive,hidingherinterestinthepaperandmakingsurenooneelseexaminesitsothatshecan“finditout”onherown.Atonepoint,shestartlesJennie,whohadbeentouchingthewallpaperandwhomentionsthatshehadfoundyellowstainsontheirclothes.Mistakingthenarrator’sfixationfortranquility,Johnthinkssheisimproving.Butshesleepslessandlessandisconvincedthatshecansmellthepaperalloverthehouse,evenoutside.Shediscoversastrangesmudgemarkonthepaper,runningallaroundtheroom,asifithadbeenrubbedbysomeonecrawlingagainstthewall.

Thesub-patternnowclearlyresemblesawomanwhoistryingtogetoutfrombehindthemainpattern.Thenarratorseeshershakingthebarsatnightandcreepingaroundduringtheday,whenthewomanisabletoescapebriefly.Thenarratormentionsthatshe,too,creepsaroundattimes.ShesuspectsthatJohnandJennieareawareofherobsession,andsheresolvestodestroythepaperonceandforall,peelingmuchofitoffduringthenight.Thenextdayshemanagestobealoneandgoesintosomethingofafrenzy,bitingandtearingatthepaperinordertofreethetrappedwoman,whomsheseesstrugglingfrominsidethepattern.

Bytheend,thenarratorishopelesslyinsane,convincedthattherearemanycreepingwomenaroundandthatsheherselfhascomeoutofthewallpaper—thatsheherselfisthetrappedwoman.Shecreepsendlesslyaroundtheroom,smudgingthewallpaperasshegoes.WhenJohnbreaksintothelockedroomandseesthefullhorrorofthesituation,hefaintsinthedoorway,sothatthenarratorhas“tocreepoverhimeverytime!

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CharacterList

TheNarrator - Ayoung,upper-middle-classwoman,newlymarriedandamother,whoisundergoingcarefordepression.Thenarrator—whosenamemayormaynotbeJane—ishighlyimaginativeandanatural storyteller,thoughherdoctorsbelieveshehasa“slighthystericaltendency.”Thestoryistoldintheformofhersecretdiary,inwhichsherecordsherthoughtsasherobsessionwiththewallpapergrows.