The title of the story I'm going to analyze is "The Yellow Wall-Paper".
This story was penned by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - famous American author, poet and feminist, who encouraged women to gain economic independance.
After reading the novel for the first time, I dare to say, that I was not so impressed as others. Maybe such stories are not my cup of tea, maybe I don't like weak women. Nevertheless, I will read it once again and try to find something I like.
What I can add is the fact that Charlotte Perkins is a real master of writing descriptions. They are so exact, that it was really easy to create a scene from the story in my mind.
+1 to Charlotte for her descriptions!
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in 1860 in New England, a descendent of the prominent and influential Beecher family. Despite the affluence of her most famous ancestors, she was born into poverty. Her father abandoned the family when she was a child, and she received just four years of formal education. At an early age she vowed never to marry, hoping instead to devote her life to public service.
In 1882, however, at the age of twenty-one, she was introduced to Charles Walter Stetson, a Providence, Rhode Island artist, and the two were married in 1884. Charlotte Stetson became pregnant almost immediately after their marriage, gave birth to a daughter, and sunk into a deep depression that lasted for several years.
She eventually entered a sanitarium in Philadelphia to undergo the "rest cure," a controversial treatment for nervous prostration, which forbade any type of physical activity or intellectual stimulation. After a month, she returned to her husband and child and subsequently suffered a nervous breakdown. In 1888, she left Stetson and moved with her daughter to California, where her recovery was swift.
In the early 1890s, she began writing and lecturing, and in 1892, she published the now-famous story, "The Yellow Wall-Paper." A volume of poems followed a year later. In 1898, she published her most famous book, Women and Economics. With its publication, and its subsequent translation into seven languages, Gilman earned international acclaim.
In 1900, she married her first cousin, Houghton Gilman. Over the next twenty-five years, she wrote and published more than a dozen books.
In 1932, Gilman learned that she had breast cancer. Three years later, at the age of seventy-five, she committed suicide.
Although her reputation declined in the years before her death, in 1993, Gilman was named the sixth most influential woman of the twentieth century in a poll commissioned by the Siena Research Institute. In 1994, she was inducted into the National Womenís Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York.
So, as you can see, Charlotte Gilman's life was full of suffering, but still there were some happy moments. Moreover, despite commmiting suicide, she's still a legend who made a great contribution in literature and mind of every woman as well.
Speaking about the title of the story, I would say that it is intriguing and thought-provoking as the biggest fear is the fear of unknown.
The major theme of the text focuses on social problems, human relationships and values. I suppose that the author wants to share the atmosphere of that times, women’s position in the society and their feelings with us. Unfortunately, the title of the text doesn’t correlate with this theme.
As I have already mentioned, Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a real master of writing and making fantastic descriptions as well. Her language is very simple and fascinating at the same time, which helps us to understand where, when and with whom things happen in the story.
As we can see, the events of the story happen in the times of colonies. The main character and her husband live in quite lonesome house. This moment can be seen in the beginning of the story.
I can say that the author describes the place the main characters live in like if she knows that place very good, feels it and sees everything that is around it. So, no fantasy is presented.
I suppose that the author chose such place to show that the main heroine was very lonely. Even if we don't take to the account the fact that there was no understanding from her husband, we see that she live far from people.
I suppose that it is necessary to mention that mostly all of the time the protagonist of the story spends in one place - her room. I would say that this room can also be chosen for the role of a main character of the story. We can see all the details of that room and, what is more, a kind of conflict between the woman and the room. Firstly, the yellow wall-papered room scares her. Secondly, the woman starts hating it. The example of this can be seen in her words: "The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. It is a dull yet lurid orange in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in others. No wonder the children hated it! I should hate it myself if I had to live in this room long".
As for me, I would also hate it. I think if I had to live in such a room, I would definitely go crazy.
From the viewpoint of presentation, the text is 1st person narrative.
The main character or the protagonist of the story is the narrator herself. This is a young, upper-middle-class woman, newly married and a mother, who is undergoing care for depression. The narrator's doctors believe she has a “slight hysterical tendency” and the only way to cure it is to do different exercises, get plenty of air and avoid working. The story is told in the form of her secret diary, in which she records her thoughts as her obsession with the wallpaper grows. I suppose that the name of this woman is unknown as the author of the story was a feminist and she wanted to depict the destiny and life of all women at that period of time when they had no rights at all. I can say that the author uses indirect characterization to describe the protagonist of the story. There are a lot of examples when she tries to withstand her husband and show her own mind: “So I take phosphates and phosphites—whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to ‘work’ until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good".
Because of strange attitude to her personality, the woman shrinks into herself: "I have found out another funny thing, but I shan’t tell it this time! It does not do to trust people too much." She gradually begins to see a female figure trapped behind the bar-like pattern of the wallpaper and realizes that both she and the figure are suffering from oppression and imprisonment. I suppose that the woman has gone mad as she starts cooperating with imaginary woman to set her free.
The other main character is John, protagonist's husband. John restricts her behavior as part of her treatment. 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. The real problem with John is the all-encompassing authority he has in his combined role as the narrator’s husband and doctor. John is so sure that he knows what’s best for his wife that he disregards her own opinion of the matter, forcing her to hide her true feelings. He consistently patronizes her. He calls her “a blessed little goose” and vetoes her smallest wishes, such as when he refuses to switch bedrooms so as not to overindulge her “fancies.” Further, his dry, clinical rationality renders him uniquely unsuited to understand his imaginative wife. He does not intend to harm her, but his ignorance about what she really needs ultimately proves dangerous. I am sure that by treating his wife as a “case” and not as a person with her own will, he helps destroy to her, which is really the last thing he wants.
As we can see, these people live in a union, but they don't underdtsnd that they are different and one helps another one to destroy herself. In such situation I'd like to cyte on Bohdan Stupka's poem:
This poem proves or reminds you that your life is in your hands and from your choice depends your further life...
Of course, we should not forget about the other characters:
Narrator's Brother who believes that the narrator's husband is right and supports him; Jennie - John's sister, the housekeeper; the Baby - narrator's child; Mary - Baby's nanny; Henry and Julia - relatives;Mother, Nellie, Children - people we know almost nothing about.
In terms of the contextual type, the text is written as a combination of narration, description, even the author's meditation and, of course, dialogues.
As far as I can judge, the plot is built on the conflict between the main heroine and her husand. Their relationships are the vivid example that every medal has two sides. On the one hand, these two people don't have any conflicts, the husband tries to take even the smallest care of his wife. On the other hand, he doesn't want to go deeper into her problems, inner world and feelings. I can call him even an egoist as he pays no attention to the psychological health of his partner and thinks that she simulates everything. That way he aggravates her depression.
From the viewpoint of composition, the text is made up of
· exposition ( where the main characters and the scene of the action are intoduced);
· developement of the events ( the author depicts the life of the main character in this terrible mansion day by day, her health problems (depression);
· climax ( when the protagonist of the story completely believes that she is the woman who lives in the wall-paper)
· anticlimax ( the final "act" in the life of these two people)
Truth be told, the author is really a unique person and, without a doubt, she has her own unique style. She represents it in the story with the help of different expressive means and stylistic devices.
To say that there are a lot of them is to say nothing. Every sentence is soaked with these elements to share the right message.
I am sure, it is necessary to mention about the symbol in the title of the story. The colour. It is yellow. And while reading psychological articles we can easily find that the yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. In this case the stimulus is emotional, therefore yellow is the strongest colour, psychologically. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our self-esteem; it is the colour of confidence and optimism. Too much of it, or the wrong tone in relation to the other tones in a colour scheme, can cause self-esteem to plummet, giving rise to fear and anxiety. Our "yellow streak" can surface. I suppose that the negative side of this medal suits to our case.
The vocabulary the author employs to communicate his ideas to the reader is rather formal. There are no slang words, jargonisms, but some medical terms are presented: “physician, phosphates or phosphite, temporary nervous depression, a slight hysterical tendency etc. “
Speaking about the stylistic devices and expressive means, I can notice the next ones:
Similes: “lie awake as a child”, “chair that always seemed like a strong friend”, “it as good as gymnastics”, “the pattern lolls like a broken neck” – they were used to make things understandable.
Polysyndetons: “So I take phosphates or phosphites whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to "work" until I am well again.”, “It makes me think of English places that you read about, for there are hedges and walls and gates that lock, and lots of separate little houses for the gardeners and people.”, “He said that after the wall-paper was changed it would be the heavy bedstead, and then the barred windows, and then that gate at the head of the stairs, and so on.”, “And dear John gathered me up in his arms, and just carried me upstairs and laid me on the bed, and sat by me and read to me till it tired my head.”
Epithets: “physician of high standing”, “a delicious garden”, “sprawling flamboyant patterns”, “The color…repellant, revolt…”, “a smoldering unclean yellow”, “atrocious nursery”, “blessed little goose”, “riotous old-fashioned flowers”, “velvet meadows”, “optic horror” , “airy room”,– these epithets were used to give more expressiveness to the text.
Oxymoron: “positively angry” – to show the character’s is confused.
Anaphora can be seen: “Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good
Parallel constructions:“I don't know why I should write this. I don't want to. I don't feel able.”, “Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.”
Repetitions: “…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 that is one reason I do not get well faster.”, “But he said I wasn't able to go, nor" able to stand it after I got there…” , “The color is hideous enough, and unreliable enough, and infuriating enough, but the pattern is torturing.”, “Round and round and round -round and round and round -it makes me dizzy!” – to show how dull and look the same days of the character.
Parenthesis: “I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind” , “there is something strange about the house”, “kind of " debased Romanesque" with delirium tremens” , “privately”, “I always watch for that first long, straight ray”, “the moon shines in all night when there is a moon”, “she turned around as if she had been caught stealing, and looked quite angry” – to show that the main character is in trouble, she can’t concentrate.
Personification is used when the author describes the wall-paper and gives it the smell to make us to believe and feel the atmosphere.
Alliteration is also used in the text, for example, “with windows that look all ways” etc.
As you can see the text under analysis is full of stylistic devices and expressive means, feelings and experience.
I dare to say that the story was really interesting to read. Personally I think that it can even teach us something, for instance, how to choose a partner for our life. The story is worth reading that’s why I will recommend everybody to read it. Knowingly it was taken as a base for films and plays.
I should admit the talent of the author, Charlotte Perkins, whose dream to make all women free and happy spread in all her works.The title of the story I'm going to analyze is "The Yellow Wall-Paper".
This story was penned by Charlotte Perkins Gilman - famous American author, poet and feminist, who encouraged women to gain economic independance.
After reading the novel for the first time, I dare to say, that I was not so impressed as others. Maybe such stories are not my cup of tea, maybe I don't like weak women. Nevertheless, I will read it once again and try to find something I like.
What I can add is the fact that Charlotte Perkins is a real master of writing descriptions. They are so exact, that it was really easy to create a scene from the story in my mind.
+1 to Charlotte for her descriptions!
Charlotte Perkins Gilman was born in 1860 in New England, a descendent of the prominent and influential Beecher family. Despite the affluence of her most famous ancestors, she was born into poverty. Her father abandoned the family when she was a child, and she received just four years of formal education. At an early age she vowed never to marry, hoping instead to devote her life to public service.
In 1882, however, at the age of twenty-one, she was introduced to Charles Walter Stetson, a Providence, Rhode Island artist, and the two were married in 1884. Charlotte Stetson became pregnant almost immediately after their marriage, gave birth to a daughter, and sunk into a deep depression that lasted for several years.
She eventually entered a sanitarium in Philadelphia to undergo the "rest cure," a controversial treatment for nervous prostration, which forbade any type of physical activity or intellectual stimulation. After a month, she returned to her husband and child and subsequently suffered a nervous breakdown. In 1888, she left Stetson and moved with her daughter to California, where her recovery was swift.
In the early 1890s, she began writing and lecturing, and in 1892, she published the now-famous story, "The Yellow Wall-Paper." A volume of poems followed a year later. In 1898, she published her most famous book, Women and Economics. With its publication, and its subsequent translation into seven languages, Gilman earned international acclaim.
In 1900, she married her first cousin, Houghton Gilman. Over the next twenty-five years, she wrote and published more than a dozen books.
In 1932, Gilman learned that she had breast cancer. Three years later, at the age of seventy-five, she committed suicide.
Although her reputation declined in the years before her death, in 1993, Gilman was named the sixth most influential woman of the twentieth century in a poll commissioned by the Siena Research Institute. In 1994, she was inducted into the National Womenís Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York.
So, as you can see, Charlotte Gilman's life was full of suffering, but still there were some happy moments. Moreover, despite commmiting suicide, she's still a legend who made a great contribution in literature and mind of every woman as well.
Speaking about the title of the story, I would say that it is intriguing and thought-provoking as the biggest fear is the fear of unknown.
The major theme of the text focuses on social problems, human relationships and values. I suppose that the author wants to share the atmosphere of that times, women’s position in the society and their feelings with us. Unfortunately, the title of the text doesn’t correlate with this theme.
As I have already mentioned, Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a real master of writing and making fantastic descriptions as well. Her language is very simple and fascinating at the same time, which helps us to understand where, when and with whom things happen in the story.
As we can see, the events of the story happen in the times of colonies. The main character and her husband live in quite lonesome house. This moment can be seen in the beginning of the story.
I can say that the author describes the place the main characters live in like if she knows that place very good, feels it and sees everything that is around it. So, no fantasy is presented.
I suppose that the author chose such place to show that the main heroine was very lonely. Even if we don't take to the account the fact that there was no understanding from her husband, we see that she live far from people.
I suppose that it is necessary to mention that mostly all of the time the protagonist of the story spends in one place - her room. I would say that this room can also be chosen for the role of a main character of the story. We can see all the details of that room and, what is more, a kind of conflict between the woman and the room. Firstly, the yellow wall-papered room scares her. Secondly, the woman starts hating it. The example of this can be seen in her words: "The color is repellent, almost revolting; a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. It is a dull yet lurid orange in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in others. No wonder the children hated it! I should hate it myself if I had to live in this room long".
As for me, I would also hate it. I think if I had to live in such a room, I would definitely go crazy.
From the viewpoint of presentation, the text is 1st person narrative.
The main character or the protagonist of the story is the narrator herself. This is a young, upper-middle-class woman, newly married and a mother, who is undergoing care for depression. The narrator's doctors believe she has a “slight hysterical tendency” and the only way to cure it is to do different exercises, get plenty of air and avoid working. The story is told in the form of her secret diary, in which she records her thoughts as her obsession with the wallpaper grows. I suppose that the name of this woman is unknown as the author of the story was a feminist and she wanted to depict the destiny and life of all women at that period of time when they had no rights at all. I can say that the author uses indirect characterization to describe the protagonist of the story. There are a lot of examples when she tries to withstand her husband and show her own mind: “So I take phosphates and phosphites—whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to ‘work’ until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good".
Because of strange attitude to her personality, the woman shrinks into herself: "I have found out another funny thing, but I shan’t tell it this time! It does not do to trust people too much." She gradually begins to see a female figure trapped behind the bar-like pattern of the wallpaper and realizes that both she and the figure are suffering from oppression and imprisonment. I suppose that the woman has gone mad as she starts cooperating with imaginary woman to set her free.
The other main character is John, protagonist's husband. John restricts her behavior as part of her treatment. 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. The real problem with John is the all-encompassing authority he has in his combined role as the narrator’s husband and doctor. John is so sure that he knows what’s best for his wife that he disregards her own opinion of the matter, forcing her to hide her true feelings. He consistently patronizes her. He calls her “a blessed little goose” and vetoes her smallest wishes, such as when he refuses to switch bedrooms so as not to overindulge her “fancies.” Further, his dry, clinical rationality renders him uniquely unsuited to understand his imaginative wife. He does not intend to harm her, but his ignorance about what she really needs ultimately proves dangerous. I am sure that by treating his wife as a “case” and not as a person with her own will, he helps destroy to her, which is really the last thing he wants.
As we can see, these people live in a union, but they don't underdtsnd that they are different and one helps another one to destroy herself. In such situation I'd like to cyte on Bohdan Stupka's poem:
This poem proves or reminds you that your life is in your hands and from your choice depends your further life...
Of course, we should not forget about the other characters:
Narrator's Brother who believes that the narrator's husband is right and supports him; Jennie - John's sister, the housekeeper; the Baby - narrator's child; Mary - Baby's nanny; Henry and Julia - relatives;Mother, Nellie, Children - people we know almost nothing about.
In terms of the contextual type, the text is written as a combination of narration, description, even the author's meditation and, of course, dialogues.
As far as I can judge, the plot is built on the conflict between the main heroine and her husand. Their relationships are the vivid example that every medal has two sides. On the one hand, these two people don't have any conflicts, the husband tries to take even the smallest care of his wife. On the other hand, he doesn't want to go deeper into her problems, inner world and feelings. I can call him even an egoist as he pays no attention to the psychological health of his partner and thinks that she simulates everything. That way he aggravates her depression.
From the viewpoint of composition, the text is made up of
· exposition ( where the main characters and the scene of the action are intoduced);
· developement of the events ( the author depicts the life of the main character in this terrible mansion day by day, her health problems (depression);
· climax ( when the protagonist of the story completely believes that she is the woman who lives in the wall-paper)
· anticlimax ( the final "act" in the life of these two people)
Truth be told, the author is really a unique person and, without a doubt, she has her own unique style. She represents it in the story with the help of different expressive means and stylistic devices.
To say that there are a lot of them is to say nothing. Every sentence is soaked with these elements to share the right message.
I am sure, it is necessary to mention about the symbol in the title of the story. The colour. It is yellow. And while reading psychological articles we can easily find that the yellow wavelength is relatively long and essentially stimulating. In this case the stimulus is emotional, therefore yellow is the strongest colour, psychologically. The right yellow will lift our spirits and our self-esteem; it is the colour of confidence and optimism. Too much of it, or the wrong tone in relation to the other tones in a colour scheme, can cause self-esteem to plummet, giving rise to fear and anxiety. Our "yellow streak" can surface. I suppose that the negative side of this medal suits to our case.
The vocabulary the author employs to communicate his ideas to the reader is rather formal. There are no slang words, jargonisms, but some medical terms are presented: “physician, phosphates or phosphite, temporary nervous depression, a slight hysterical tendency etc. “
Speaking about the stylistic devices and expressive means, I can notice the next ones:
Similes: “lie awake as a child”, “chair that always seemed like a strong friend”, “it as good as gymnastics”, “the pattern lolls like a broken neck” – they were used to make things understandable.
Polysyndetons: “So I take phosphates or phosphites whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to "work" until I am well again.”, “It makes me think of English places that you read about, for there are hedges and walls and gates that lock, and lots of separate little houses for the gardeners and people.”, “He said that after the wall-paper was changed it would be the heavy bedstead, and then the barred windows, and then that gate at the head of the stairs, and so on.”, “And dear John gathered me up in his arms, and just carried me upstairs and laid me on the bed, and sat by me and read to me till it tired my head.”
Epithets: “physician of high standing”, “a delicious garden”, “sprawling flamboyant patterns”, “The color…repellant, revolt…”, “a smoldering unclean yellow”, “atrocious nursery”, “blessed little goose”, “riotous old-fashioned flowers”, “velvet meadows”, “optic horror” , “airy room”,– these epithets were used to give more expressiveness to the text.
Oxymoron: “positively angry” – to show the character’s is confused.
Anaphora can be seen: “Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good
Parallel constructions:“I don't know why I should write this. I don't want to. I don't feel able.”, “Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.”
Repetitions: “…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 that is one reason I do not get well faster.”, “But he said I wasn't able to go, nor" able to stand it after I got there…” , “The color is hideous enough, and unreliable enough, and infuriating enough, but the pattern is torturing.”, “Round and round and round -round and round and round -it makes me dizzy!” – to show how dull and look the same days of the character.
Parenthesis: “I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind” , “there is something strange about the house”, “kind of " debased Romanesque" with delirium tremens” , “privately”, “I always watch for that first long, straight ray”, “the moon shines in all night when there is a moon”, “she turned around as if she had been caught stealing, and looked quite angry” – to show that the main character is in trouble, she can’t concentrate.
Personification is used when the author describes the wall-paper and gives it the smell to make us to believe and feel the atmosphere.
Alliteration is also used in the text, for example, “with windows that look all ways” etc.
As you can see the text under analysis is full of stylistic devices and expressive means, feelings and experience.
I dare to say that the story was really interesting to read. Personally I think that it can even teach us something, for instance, how to choose a partner for our life. The story is worth reading that’s why I will recommend everybody to read it. Knowingly it was taken as a base for films and plays.
I should admit the talent of the author, Charlotte Perkins, whose dream to make all women free and happy spread in all her works.
