Dramatic irony is used extensively in “The Yellow Wallpaper.” For example, when the narrator first describes the bedroom John has chosen for them, she attributes the room's bizarre features—the “
rings and things
” in the walls, the nailed-down furniture, the bars on the windows, and the torn wallpaper—to the fact that …
What is ironic in the story?
The definition of irony as a literary device is
a situation in which there is a contrast between expectation and reality
. For example, the difference between what something appears to mean versus its literal meaning. Irony is associated with both tragedy and humor.
What is ironic about the ending of The Yellow Wallpaper?
What is ironic about the ending of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is that
it's the narrator who is supposed to be hysterical, yet her husband is the one who faints
. Throughout the story, he has been the voice of cold, scientific reason.
What is the symbolism in The Yellow Wallpaper?
Clearly, the wallpaper represents
the structure of family, medicine, and tradition in which the narrator finds herself trapped
. Wallpaper is domestic and humble, and Gilman skillfully uses this nightmarish, hideous paper as a symbol of the domestic life that traps so many women.
Is The Yellow Wallpaper satire?
Herland
(1915) is a science-fiction satire about the comic misadventures of three men who stumble upon an all-female society. Still, Gilman's most popular work continues to be “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the grim but fascinating portrait of a woman's descent into madness.
Why did John faint at the end of The Yellow Wallpaper?
The reason for John to faint at the end of the story is
his shock provoked by the wife's mental state
. He prescribes the “rest therapy” to eliminate any distressing events that could worsen his wife's depression.
Why is the bed nailed down in The Yellow Wallpaper?
The bed is mentioned frequently throughout the story: it is heavy and old, but most curiously, it is nailed to the floor. The bed
represents being not just trapped
, but being stuck, as in the inability to move or change anything, and also has obvious sexual connotations.
What is the irony in the lesson a letter to God?
In the lesson “a Letter to God”, the irony is that
Lencho's field is destroyed due to a hailstorm and his family and he have no food for the rest of the year
. Because, of his immense faith in God, he writes a letter to God beseeching him that God send him a hundred pesos, so that he can sow his land again.
What are 3 irony examples?
Definition: There are three types of irony:
verbal, situational and dramatic
. Verbal irony occurs when a speaker's intention is the opposite of what he or she is saying. For example, a character stepping out into a hurricane and saying, “What nice weather we're having!”
What are the 10 examples of irony?
- A fire station burns down.
- A marriage counselor files for divorce.
- The police station gets robbed.
- A post on Facebook complains about how useless Facebook is.
- A traffic cop gets his license suspended because of unpaid parking tickets.
- A pilot has a fear of heights.
What does her illness symbolize in The Yellow Wallpaper?
This represents
feeling trapped
. At the end of the story, the narrator believes that the woman has come out of the wallpaper. This indicates that the narrator has finally merged fully into her psychosis, and become one with the house and domesticated discontent.
What does the narrator's illness symbolize in The Yellow Wallpaper?
Yellow Wallpaper Reflection
The narrator's illness is
caused by control issues, in turn, cause her to seek out a sense of true self
. The fact that John ignores his wife's feelings makes her illness worse.
What does moonlight and daylight symbolize in The Yellow Wallpaper?
The Moonlight
Contextual this represents
freedom from social accepted behavior
. this implies that one should only “creep” by moonlight when no one is watching. The daylight also may represent adherence to norms; when a woman must act ladylike.
What is the main theme of The Yellow Wallpaper?
Self-Expression, Miscommunication, and Misunderstanding
Alongside questions of gender and mental illness in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is the simple story of
a woman who is unable fully to express herself, or to find someone who will listen
.
What words are repeated in The Yellow Wallpaper?
The repetition of the phrase “
What is one to do?
” helps characterize the narrator as confused, helpless, and even oppressed by her husband. By continuously repeating this phrase, the narrator establishes herself as weak and unable to stand up to her husband's seemingly unfair and negligent treatment.
Why is The Yellow Wallpaper yellow?
The dingy yellow of the wallpaper that the narrator describes represents
her decay of her marriage and life
, her “sickness”, and even her jealousy of men because she cannot escape the boundries of a woman.
