Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper Active Reading Chart Answers
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a short story that depicts the experiences of a woman who is confined to her room and experiences a gradual descent into madness. The story is often used as a literary analysis tool, and teachers often use an active reading chart to help students understand the nuances of the story. Here are the answers to the active reading chart questions for "The Yellow Wallpaper."
Setting
The story is set in a large, old house in the countryside during the late 19th century. The house has a large garden, and the room where the protagonist is confined has barred windows and a bed that is bolted to the floor.
Characters
The protagonist is a woman who is suffering from what is believed to be postpartum depression. Her husband, John, is a physician who is trying to treat her. Jennie is John's sister, who is also involved in the care of the protagonist. The protagonist also sees a woman in the yellow wallpaper who she believes is trying to escape.
Plot
The protagonist is confined to her room by her husband, who believes that rest and isolation will cure her depression. The protagonist becomes obsessed with the yellow wallpaper in her room and begins to see a woman behind the wallpaper who is trying to escape. The protagonist becomes increasingly unstable and eventually tears off the wallpaper to try to free the woman behind it. In the end, the protagonist becomes completely insane and is crawling on the floor when her husband returns.
Point of View
The story is told from the first-person point of view of the protagonist, which allows the reader to experience her descent into madness firsthand.
Symbolism
The yellow wallpaper is a symbol of the protagonist's mental state. The wallpaper has a pattern that the protagonist finds irritating, and she becomes obsessed with it. The wallpaper represents the constraints that society places on women, and the protagonist's obsession with it represents her desire to break free from those constraints.
Theme
One of the main themes of the story is the treatment of mental illness. The protagonist is treated by her husband, who believes that rest and isolation will cure her. However, this treatment only makes her condition worse, and she eventually becomes completely insane.
Conclusion
Gilman's "The Yellow Wallpaper" is a powerful story that explores the constraints that society places on women and the treatment of mental illness. By using an active reading chart, students can gain a deeper understanding of the nuances of the story and its themes.