The narrator believes that John and Jennie are looking at the wallpaper
because she thinks that the wallpaper is having the same effect on them as it is on her
. It has a certain effect on anyone who would even take a glance at the wallpaper, the effect that doesn't seem to wear off at any point in the story.
What does the narrator believe that she can see behind the wallpaper?
By the end of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator believes that she has,
by peeling the wallpaper off the walls
, freed a woman who was trapped by and within the paper itself.
How does the narrator feel about Jennie The Yellow Wallpaper?
Detailed answer:
The narrator feels sorry for the woman named Jennie
. She got into depression and is now being controlled by her husband and brother. Although the woman initially scared the narrator, she later felt compassion for her.
How does the narrator view John in the Yellow Wallpaper?
In the beginning of the story, the narrator has
a very loving and appreciative view of John
. She says how he is always so thoughtful to her and how he loves her and wants her to get better: “He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction” (Gilman 320) and also “Dear John!
What does the ending of the story suggest about the woman behind the wallpaper?
The ending of “The Yellow Wallpaper” suggests that the woman behind
the wallpaper is a manifestation of the protagonist's imagination and that the protagonist herself is the woman who has been trapped
.
What aspect of the room seems to bother the narrator of The Yellow Wallpaper?
Answer: The narrator is
disgusted by the color and pattern
of the yellow wallpaper.
What is the symbolism of 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.
What is wrong with the woman in The Yellow Wallpaper?
The narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is likely suffering from
depression and likely from postpartum psychosis
(at least in part) because of the young baby mentioned in the story. She finds that she cannot take care of her baby and has no desire to be near him, as his presence makes her “nervous.”
How does the narrator change as the story progresses in The Yellow Wallpaper?
Her negative feelings color her description of her surroundings, making them seem uncanny and sinister, and she becomes fixated on the wallpaper. As the narrator sinks further into her inner fascination with the wallpaper,
she becomes progressively more dissociated from her day-to-day life
.
Why does 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 John a villain in The Yellow Wallpaper?
Though John seems like the obvious villain of “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the story does not allow us to see
him as wholly evil
. John's treatment of the narrator's depression goes terribly wrong, but in all likelihood he was trying to help her, not make her worse. … This ignorance is why John is no mere cardboard villain.
Does John really love his wife in the Yellow Wallpaper?
Unlike his imaginative wife, John is extremely practical, preferring facts and figures to “fancy,” at which he “scoffs openly.”
He seems to love his wife
, but he does not understand the negative effect his treatment has on her.
Why does the narrator try to pull off the wallpaper?
Expert Answers
By ripping off the yellow wallpaper, the narrator is
trying to escape her prison
, and the prison shared by other women of her era and social standing.
How would you interpret the ending of the story the yellow wallpaper?
At the end of the story, as her husband lies on the floor unconscious, she crawls over him, symbolically rising over him. This is interpreted as a
victory over her husband at the expense of her sanity
. … The narrator in the story is trying to find a single meaning in the wallpaper.
How does John generally treat the narrator?
John
is dismissive of the narrator
in “The Yellow Wallpaper.” He is her husband and also acts as her doctor, and in her first journal entry,…
What actions of the narrator show that her mental state is beginning to deteriorate?
John does not know about the _____. What actions of the narrator show that her mental state is beginning to deteriorate? The narrator of “
The Yellow Wallpaper” agrees to stay in the top-floor room, even though she would prefer a room downstairs
, because her husband says it's best for her.
