a new role for women focus and motivate the yellow wallpaper

Selection Resources

RESOURCE MANAGER UNIT 4Plan and Teach, pp. 189–196Summary, pp. 197–198Text Analysis and Reading

Skill, pp. 199–202Vocabulary, pp. 203–205Grammar and Style, p. 208

DIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTSSelection Tests, pp. 213–216

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKITJigsaw Reading, p. A1Comparison Matrix, p. A24Three-Column Journal, p. B10Two-Column Chart, p. A25Open Mind, p. D9Classification Chart, p. B17

TECHNOLOGY

Teacher One Stop DVD-ROM

Student One Stop DVD-ROM

Audio Anthology CD

GrammarNotes DVD-ROM

ExamView Test Generator on the Teacher One Stop

See resources on the Teacher One Stop DVD-ROM and on thinkcentral.com.

* Resources for Differentiation † Also in Spanish ‡ In Haitian Creole and Vietnamese

A New Role for WomenThe Yellow Wallpaper Short Story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

did you know? Charlotte Perkins Gilman . . .• moved 19 times in her

first 18 years.• produced eight novels,

six nonfiction books, almost 200 short stories, hundreds of poems, and thousands of essays.

• founded and ran her own feminist magazine, the Forerunner.

Meet the Author

As a feminist writer, social activist, public lecturer, editor, and publisher, Charlotte Perkins Gilman rode the wave of reform that washed over the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her 1898 landmark study, Women and Economics—called “the Bible of the woman’s movement” at the time—argued persuasively that women’s economic dependence on men made them veritable slaves in U.S. society. To rectify the inequities, she advocated child-care centers and communal kitchens so that women could earn money outside the home. In addition, her startlingly original story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” published in 1892, discredited a popular treatment for women’s so-called “nervous disorders.” Looking beyond suffrage, Gilman sought to free women from domestic servitude and foster their intellectual and emotional growth.

Formative Early Years Gilman got a rather shaky start in life. Her father abandoned

the family shortly after her birth in Hartford, Connecticut.

Her mother, possibly in reaction to her dire circumstances, adopted the odd child-rearing habits of withholding

affection and forbidding her daughter to read fiction or form close

friendships. Fortunately, financial hardship forced the family to live with relatives, the most prominent among them being Harriet Beecher Stowe, the abolitionist author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the feminists Catherine Beecher and Isabella Beecher Hooker. Guided by her strong, successful aunts, young Charlotte grew into a well-adjusted, independent woman.

Sweetening Reform with Humor Gilman’s first published work was a volume of poetry, In This Our World, which attracted attention for the humorous way she ridiculed social injustice and inequality. Women and Economics garnered similar praise despite its frontal assault on conventional marriage. One reviewer praised the “wit and sarcasm” that made Gilman’s “profound social philosophy” such an entertaining read. After publishing several more sociological studies, Gilman returned to writing fiction. 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. The one-of-a-kind story has never gone out of print.

Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1860–1935

the family shortly after her bin Hartford, Connecticu

Her mother, possiblyini reaction to her dcircumstances, adothe odd child-rearihabits of withholdi

affection and forbiddher daughter to read fiction or form close

Go to thinkcentral.com. KEYWORD: HML11-796

Author Online

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RL 1 Cite evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL 3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story. RL 9 Demonstrate knowledge of nineteenth-century foundational works of American literature. L 3 Apply knowledge of language to comprehend more fully when reading.

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Focus and Motivate

Selection Resources

RL 1 Cite evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL 3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story. RL 9 Demonstrate knowledge of nineteenth-century foundational works of American literature. RI 1 Cite evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. W 1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. W 1a–b Introduce a precise claim; develop claim and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each in a manner that anticipates the audience’s possible biases. L 1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing. L 3 Apply knowledge of language to comprehend more fully when reading. L 5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships. L 6 Acquire and use accurately general academic words and phrases.

about the authorAfter students read Gilman’s biography, ask how the Beechers might have affected her. Possible answer: They fostered her interest in women’s rights and social change. Have students predict what might cause the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” to go mad. Students may suggest that unhappiness with inequality leads to the narrator’s madness.

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What if no one took you seriously?A friend rolls his or her eyes in disbelief as you tell a story. Your parents don’t believe that you really are sick, not just feigning illness to get out of a test. A teacher or coach refuses to listen to your perspective before launching into a lecture. On at least one occasion, you’ve probably felt the sting of someone dismissing your feelings or refusing to listen to you. An isolated instance is bad enough, but if everyone around you refused to take you seriously, you might feel utterly powerless.

QUICKWRITE Try to imagine a whole day during which, no matter what happened, no one took you seriously. Envision yourself in the middle of such a day; then write a journal entry describing your reaction.

text analysis: first-person narratorA story’s narrator—the character or voice that relates events to the reader—can have a marked effect on how you perceive the events of the story. A first-person narrator is a character in the story. This story is narrated by a woman diagnosed with a “nervous condition.” From reading her journal entries, you learn what she is experiencing mentally and emotionally. As you read, ask yourself how she changes and what causes her to change. Consider whether she is a reliable source of information and what might be left out of her narration.

reading skill: understand social contextSocial context, or the social conditions that inspired or influenced the author, is key to this story’s setting. In 1892, when the story was written, women held a very different place in society than they do today. Use your own knowledge, as well as the background on page 796, to analyze the social context of this story. Note what the annotated passages reveal about how women were treated and how they were expected to behave. Consider what Gilman may have thought about these conditions and how they influence the way she chooses to present her narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper.”

Story Passages Notes on Social Context

“John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage.”

The narrator does not expect that a husband would take his wife’s ideas seriously. At this time, men wielded the power in most American households.

vocabulary in contextGilman uses these words in her harrowing story of stress and power. Determine the meaning of each word from its context.

1. doctor’s orders misconstrued because of their complexity 2. a recurrent ailment, returning every few months 3. a delicate temperament, prone to worrying 4. disturbed by intense, lurid dreams 5. flashy, flamboyant drawings representing her state of mind 6. undulating patterns that made her feel seasick 7. a twisted convolution of nightmarish thoughts 8. ignorant remarks that demonstrated her fatuity

Complete the activities in your Reader/Writer Notebook.

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Teach

Model the Skill: first-person narrator

Share this example with students:If only my son Jesse’s math teacher saw his brilliance. Jesse’s memory of baseball statistics is amazing for a high school student. The teacher should not worry that Jesse is failing math. One day Jesse will find a job he loves—then, look out!

Point out the narrator’s attitude toward Jesse. He puts a positive spin on Jesse’s failure, and perhaps overestimates his strengths.GUIDED PRACTICE Ask students how Jesse’s math teacher might respond to the narrator’s attitude.

T E X T A N A L Y S I S

What if no one took you SERIOUSLY?After posing the question to students, ask them to offer definitions of powerless. After they complete the QUICKWRITE, have them revisit their definitions and suggest possible revisions.

Model the Skill: understand social context

Remind students that besides drawing on their prior knowledge, they can also research a story’s historical context to better understand the social context of the work. Suggest that students fill out the Understand Social Context chart with any passage they think might relate to social context. They can discuss any passage they are uncertain of. GUIDED PRACTICE Ask students for words that describe their own social context.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy Master Understand Social Context p. 201 (for student use while reading the selection)

R E A D I N G S K I L L

V O C A B U L A R Y S K I L L

vocabulary in contextDIAGNOSE WORD KNOWLEDGE Have all students complete Vocabulary in Context. Check their definitions against the following:

convolution (kJnQvE-lLPshEn) n. a form or shape that is folded into curved, complicated windings

fatuity (fE-tLPG-tC) n. something foolish or stupid

flamboyant (flBm-boiPEnt) adj. marked by strikingly elaborate or colorful display

lurid (lMrPGd) adj. shocking; gruesomemisconstrued (mGsQkEn-strLdP) adj.

misunderstood; misinterpreted misconstrue v.recurrent (rG-kûrPEnt) adj. occurring time after

timetemperament (tDmPprE-mEnt) n. a person’s

characteristic mode of emotional responseundulating (OnPjE-lAQtGng) adj. appearing to

move in waves undulate v.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy Master Vocabulary Study p. 203

the yellow wallpaper 797

L 4

RL 1 RL 3

RL 3 RL 9


798 unit 4: regionalism and naturalism

background If a woman sought medical treatment for a disorder such as depression or anxiety in 1892, her ills were often diagnosed as trivial “nervous conditions,” curable through isolation and prolonged rest. Today it is believed that some of these disorders were caused in part by the stress of living within the rigid social roles to which women were confined. Doctors of the time, however, typically felt that their patients’ gender lay at the root of the problem. Many saw women as weak and emotionally unstable, and thus predisposed to illness.

10

CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN

Yellowwa l l p a p e r

The

It is very seldom that mere ordinary people like John and myself secure ancestral halls for the summer.

A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house, and reach the height of romantic felicity—but that would be asking too much of fate!

Still I will proudly declare that there is something queer about it.Else, why should it be let so cheaply? And why have stood so long untenanted?John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage.John is practical in the extreme. He has no patience with faith, an intense

horror of superstition, and he scoffs openly at any talk of things not to be felt and seen and put down in figures.

John is a physician, and 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.

You see he does not believe I am sick!And what can one do? a

Analyze VisualsExamine this painting. Describe the woman’s size, position, and coloring relative to the flowers in the foreground. How does she look next to the flowers? Explain.

a

SOCIAL CONTEXTConsider what you learned from the background paragraph at the top of this page. How does Gilman convey the belief prevalent in her time that women were emotionally unstable and prone to illness?

Geraniums (1888), Childe Hassam. 18 1/4˝ × 12 7/8˝. The Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, New York. Photo ©

Michael Fredericks.

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Practice and ApplysummaryIn this short story, the narrator, whose doctor-husband has prescribed a “rest cure” for her depression, keeps a secret diary of a summer spent mostly in bed at a rented country home. She grows increasingly obsessed with the room’s yellow wallpaper, imagining a woman trapped in it and wanting to free her by peel-ing off the paper. Finally, her husband finds her creeping around the room, certain she has freed herself from the torn-off wallpaper.

revisit the big questionWhat if no one took you SERIOUSLY?Discuss After students read lines 11–15, ask: How does the narrator’s passivity reinforce her sense that she is powerless? Possible answer: She says, “And what can one do?” (line 15), which suggests that she feels she must ac-quiesce to her husband’s and others’ opinions.

for english language learnersOptions for Reading Read aloud the sum-mary for students to provide them with an overview of the selection. Then ask students to listen to the Audio Anthology CD as they read the story silently. Finally, divide students into Jigsaw groups, and assign one Targeted Passage to each. Have students present their passages to the other groups.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKITJigsaw Reading p. A1

for struggling readersIn combination with the Audio Anthology CD, use one or more Targeted Passages (pp. 798, 801, 803, 806, 808, 810, 811, 813) to ensure that students focus on key story events and concepts. Targeted Passages are also good for English language learners.

read with a purposeHelp students read with a purpose. Tell them to notice how the main character changes over the course of the story.

a social contextPossible answer: Gilman conveys the belief about women’s instability through John. He dismisses his wife’s feelings and intuitions as unscientific and superstitious, and he laughs and scoffs at her (lines 7–10). He does not believe she is ill (line 14).

IF STUDENTS NEED HELP . . . Review the chart introduced on page 797 and help students list additional examples.

Story Passages Notes on Social Context

“John is practical . . . in figures.” (lines

8–10)

Doctors at this time discounted emotional issues as unimportant.

“He does not believe I am sick!” (line 14)

Emotional illness was not taken seriously

Targeted Passage1


RL 3 RL 9


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Analyze Visuals

Possible answer: The woman, sitting in the corner, perhaps doing needlework, seems small in relation to the flowers in the foreground. In coloring, her white dress contrasts with the colored flowers, while her dark hair and white dress blend into the background. About the Art Childe Hassam (1859–1935), America’s leading impressionist, painted country life in America as it was once lived in houses like the one the narrator and her husband have rented, using light and color to convey nostalgia for that lifestyle gone by.

tiered discussion promptsUse these prompts to help students explore the conflict between the two main characters as revealed in lines 8–13:

Connect What does the expression “oppo-sites attract” mean? How does it help you understand the narrator’s relationship with her husband? Accept all thoughtful answers.Analyze In what way does the narrator imply that she and John are opposites? Possible answer: She suggests that John is practical and rational, while she is emotional and intuitive.Synthesize How would you expect their differences to prove problematic for the narrator? Possible answer: The narrator believes that she is sick. John’s doubt of this and his dismissal of her instincts could cause problems if her condition persists or worsens.

1 Targeted Passage [Lines 1–15]This passage introduces the main characters of the narrator and her husband, the rented home setting, and the main conflict over the narrator’s health.• Where does the story take place? (lines 1–3)• What does the narrator’s husband do?

(line 11)• About what do the narrator and her husband

disagree? (lines 3–7)

for struggling readersDevelop Reading Fluency Students may have trouble with the story’s nineteenth-century syntax and diction. To help, have them read along silently while listening to the Audio Anthology CD. After students listen and read a section, such as a paragraph or a page, stop and ask volunteers to summarize what they have read or to ask questions.




1. hysterical: Hysteria is the presence of a physical ailment with no underlying physical cause.

2. chintz hangings: curtains made out of chintz, a printed cotton fabric.

If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical1 tendency—what is one to do?

My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing.

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.

Personally, I disagree with their ideas.Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would

do me good.But what is one to do?I did write for a while in spite of them; but it does exhaust me a good deal—

having to be so sly about it, or else meet with heavy opposition.I sometimes fancy that in my condition if I had less opposition and more

society and stimulus—but John says the very worst thing I can do is to think about my condition, and I confess it always makes me feel bad.

So I will let it alone and talk about the house.The most beautiful place! It is quite alone, standing well back from the road,

quite three miles from the village. 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.

There is a delicious garden! I never saw such a garden—large and shady, full of box-bordered paths, and lined with long grape-covered arbors with seats under them.

There were greenhouses, too, but they are all broken now.There was some legal trouble, I believe, something about the heirs and coheirs;

anyhow, the place has been empty for years.That spoils my ghostliness, I am afraid, but I don’t care—there is something

strange about the house—I can feel it.I even said so to John one moonlight evening, but he said what I felt was a

draft, and shut the window.I get unreasonably angry with John sometimes. I’m sure I never used to be so

sensitive. I think it is due to this nervous condition.But John says if I feel so, I shall neglect proper self-control; so I take pains to

control myself—before him, at least, and that makes me very tired. bI don’t like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza

and had roses all over the window, and such pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings!2

but John would not hear of it.He said there was only one window and not room for two beds, and no near

room for him if he took another.He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction.

20

30

40

50

b

FIRST-PERSON NARRATORReread lines 32–50. Notice how the narrator combines details of the house with her personal feelings about it. How does the author’s use of first-person point of view lend to the internal development of the narrator? Support your answer with evidence from the selection.

Language CoachAntonyms An antonymis a word with a meaning opposite that of another word. Gilman is contrasting the words opposition and society in lines 29–31. Knowing that opposition means “action working against something or someone,” what must society mean here?


revisit the big questionWhat if no one took youSERIOUSLY?Discuss After students read lines 16–32, pose the following question: How does the narra-tor’s husband contribute to her sense of being powerless? Possible answer: The narrator’s husband insists that her only problem is a nervous depression (lines 17–18). He prescribes a cure that does not allow her to work (line 22), despite her belief that it would do her good (lines 24–25). The fact that he ignores her feel-ings, wishes, and needs makes her feel helpless and contributes to her illness.

for struggling readersVisualize Gilman uses strong visual images to create the story’s setting. Ask students to try to picture these descriptions as you read aloud: the grounds (lines 33–40), the top-floor room (lines 63–70), and the wallpaper (lines 71–80). Challenge students to recall details after each description. As they read on, urge them to notice how the narrator’s perception of each element changes as her mental health deteriorates.

for english language learnersLanguage CoachAntonyms Possible answer: “friendly cooperation” Point out to students that Gil-man also contrasts stimulus and opposition. Explain that stimulus means “something that excites a person or cause him or her to take action.” Ask students to explain how opposition is an antonym of stimulus. Pos-sible answer: Opposition prevents a person from taking action.

for advanced learners/apSynthesize Author’s Views [small-group option] Have students reread the author biog-raphy on page 796, then relate Gilman’s thesis in Women and Economics to the views on self-control expressed in lines 49–50 of the story. Small groups might consider these questions: What does John mean by “self-control”? How does enslavement relate to control and self-control? Have students share their discussion results.

b Model the Skill: first-person narrator

Point out that using the first-person point of view introduces the reader to the narra-tor’s thought processes and feelings. Possible answer: The narrator takes pride in the house but also has a growing sense of uneasiness about it (lines 33–44). She feels there is something strange about the house and, since her husband chastises her for a lack of “proper self-control,” she begins to hide her feelings (lines 44–50).



RL 1 RL 3


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I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day; he takes all care from me, and so I feel basely ungrateful not to value it more.

He said we came here solely on my account, that I was to have perfect rest and all the air I could get. “Your exercise depends on your strength, my dear,” said he, “and your food somewhat on your appetite; but air you can absorb all the time.” So we took the nursery at the top of the house.

It is a big, airy room, the whole floor nearly, with windows that look all ways, and air and sunshine galore. It was nursery first and then playroom and gymnasium, I should judge; for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls.

The paint and paper look as if a boys’ school had used it. It is stripped off—the paper—in great patches all around the head of my bed, about as far as I can reach, and in a great place on the other side of the room low down. I never saw a worse paper in my life.

One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin.It is dull enough to confuse the eye in following, pronounced enough to

constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves for a little distance they suddenly commit suicide—plunge off at outrageous angles, destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions.

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.There comes John, and I must put this away, —he hates to have me write a word.

We have been here two weeks, and I haven’t felt like writing before, since that first day.

I am sitting by the window now, up in this atrocious nursery, and there is nothing to hinder my writing as much as I please, save lack of strength. c

John is away all day, and even some nights when his cases are serious.I am glad my case is not serious!But these nervous troubles are dreadfully depressing.John does not know how much I really suffer. He knows there is no reason to

suffer, and that satisfies him.Of course it is only nervousness. It does weigh on me so not to do my duty in

any way!I meant to be such a help to John, such a real rest and comfort, and here I am a

comparative burden already!Nobody would believe what an effort it is to do what little I am able,—to dress

and entertain, and order things.

60

70

80

90

flamboyant (flBm-boiPEnt) adj. marked by strikingly elaborate or colorful display

lurid (lMrPGd) adj. shocking; gruesome

c

GRAMMAR AND STYLE Notice that Gilman chose to tell this story in the present tense. This lends the narrative a sense of immediacy and allows readers to feel as though they’re witnessing new developments in the narrator’s condition as they unfold.


tiered discussion promptsUse these prompts to help students under-stand the narrator’s state of mind as revealed in lines 62–81:

Connect What words and moods do you as-sociate with the color yellow? Most students will associate yellow with bright, cheerful moods, sunshine, and flowers.Analyze What do the details of the room suggest about its function for the narrator? Possible answer: The barred windows, rings in the wall, and patches of torn paper suggest a prison cell or asylum designed to keep the narrator under control.

for english language learnersRelated Vocabulary The wallpaper is central to the narrator’s experience and deteriorating mental condition. Help students list words related to the wallpaper in lines 72–77, then use context to determine meaning: • dull (line 72), “boring”• confuse (line 72), “puzzle”• irritate (line 73), “annoy”• provoke (line 73), “urge”

• lame (line 73), “weak”• uncertain (line 73), “unsure”• commit suicide (line 74), “disappear”• outrageous (line 75), “bizarre”• unheard of contradictions (line 75), “strange

patterns”• repellent (lines 76), “disgusting”• revolting (line 76), “sickening”

for struggling readers2 Targeted Passage [Lines 82–96]

This passage provides important information about the narrator’s life and marriage.• When does John work? (line 86)• Why has the narrator not been writing?

(lines 84–85)• How does the narrator feel about her duty to

John? (lines 91–93)

c grammar and style

Analyze Verb Tense Gilman’s use of present tense enhances her first-person narrator by focusing on the character’s immediate thoughts. Ask students how this changes the narrative. Possible answer: Present tense makes the narrator’s emotions seem more intense.

V O C A B U L A R Y

own the word• flamboyant: Tell students that flam-

boyant is derived from the French word flamboyer that means “to blaze.”

• lurid: Have students look up synonyms for lurid. Possible answer: ghastly, grue-some, hideous

Targeted Passage2


L 1

L 4



It is fortunate Mary is so good with the baby. Such a dear baby!And yet I cannot be with him, it makes me so nervous.I suppose John never was nervous in his life. He laughs at me so about this

wallpaper!At first he meant to repaper the room, but afterwards he said that I was letting

it get the better of me, and that nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fancies.

He said that after the wallpaper 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.

“You know the place is doing you good,” he said, “and really, dear, I don’t care to renovate the house just for a three months’ rental.”

“Then do let us go downstairs,” I said, “there are such pretty rooms there.”Then he took me in his arms and called me a blessed little goose, and said he

100

A Woman Seated at a Table by a Window, Carl Holsoe. Oil on canvas. © SuperStock.

Analyze VisualsHow would you describe the mood of this painting? In your opinion, is it similar to or different from the mood of the story? Explain, citing specific details from each that influenced your answer.


differentiated instruction

Analyze Visuals

Possible answer: The painting, unlike the story, has a serene and calm mood. The woman sits meditatively gazing out the window. It is open, not barred. The room is simple but attractive, not decaying as in the story. The yellow light reinforces the calm, open feeling, while in the story it suggests decay. The woman’s pose be-side the door suggests that she may be waiting for someone’s arrival, expectantly but without the desperation of the story narrator.About the Art Carl Holsoe (1863–1935), a Danish contemporary of Gilman’s, reproduced everyday objects and spaces in his paintings. Many of his paintings, like this one, focus on domestic interiors and celebrate the beautiful light of his country.

for advanced learners/apCompare and Contrast [small-group option] Point out the narrator’s comment that “John never was nervous in his life” (line 99). Have small groups discuss similarities and differ-ences between the narrator and her husband. Urge them to explore these questions:• How do their differences drive the action of

the story? • What effect do their differences have on

the narrator’s illness?

• What do they have in common? • What feelings do they seem to have for

each other? Ask students to create a graphic organizer, such as a Comparison Matrix, to illustrate their findings. Invite students to share their work.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyComparison Matrix p. A24





would go down to the cellar, if I wished, and have it whitewashed into the bargain. dBut he is right enough about the beds and windows and things.It is an airy and comfortable room as anyone need wish, and, of course, I would

not be so silly as to make him uncomfortable just for a whim.I’m really getting quite fond of the big room, all but that horrid paper.Out of one window I can see the garden, those mysterious deepshaded arbors,

the riotous old-fashioned flowers, and bushes and gnarly trees.Out of another I get a lovely view of the bay and a little private wharf

belonging to the estate. There is a beautiful shaded lane that runs down there from the house. I always fancy I see people walking in these numerous paths and arbors, but John has cautioned me not to give way to fancy in the least. He says that with my imaginative power and habit of story-making, a nervous weakness like mine is sure to lead to all manner of excited fancies, and that I ought to use my will and good sense to check the tendency. So I try.

I think sometimes that if I were only well enough to write a little it would relieve the press of ideas and rest me.

But I find I get pretty tired when I try.It is so discouraging not to have any advice and companionship about my

work. When I get really well, John says we will ask Cousin Henry and Julia down for a long visit; but he says he would as soon put fireworks in my pillowcase as to let me have those stimulating people about now.

I wish I could get well faster.But I must not think about that. This paper looks to me as if it knew what a

vicious influence it had!There is a recurrent spot where the pattern lolls like a broken neck and two

bulbous eyes stare at you upside down.I get positively angry with the impertinence of it and the everlastingness. e

Up and down and sideways they crawl, and those absurd, unblinking eyes are everywhere. There is one place where two breadths didn’t match, and the eyesgo all up and down the line, one a little higher than the other.

I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have! I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy store.

I remember what a kindly wink the knobs of our big, old bureau used to have, and there was one chair that always seemed like a strong friend.

I used to feel that if any of the other things looked too fierce I could always hop into that chair and be safe.

The furniture in this room is no worse than inharmonious, however, for we had to bring it all from downstairs. I suppose when this was used as a playroom they had to take the nursery things out, and no wonder! I never saw such ravages as the children have made here.

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SOCIAL CONTEXTReread lines 99–110 and describe the relationship between the narrator and her husband. What might Gilman be saying about how womenwere viewed in thelate 1800s?

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FIRST-PERSON NARRATORHow are the narrator’s feelings about the wallpaper changing? Explain whether or not her response to the room’s décor seems rational to you.

recurrent (rG-kûrPEnt) adj. occurring time after time




This passage shows the narrator’s changing perception of the wallpaper.• What does the narrator now see in the

wallpaper? (lines 134–135)• How does she feel about what she sees?

(line 136)• What childhood “entertainment” does the

narrator recall? (lines 141–143)

for english language learnersRelated Vocabulary Provide the Three-Col-umn Journal and have students find ex-amples of the following categories from lines 115-133: garden (mysterious, deep shaded), narrator’s temperament (imaginative, power), wallpaper (vicious, influence).

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyThree-Column Journal p. B10

d Model the Skill: social context

Help students by asking them how John responds to the narrator’s wishes to change the wallpaper or live downstairs. Point out that the endearment “blessed little goose” (line 109) is more suited to ad-dressing a young child than a wife. Possible answer: The narrator is subservient to her husband. He treats her dismissively, like a child who is not capable of making serious decisions or thinking wisely for herself (lines 101–105). With this portrait of the marriage, Gilman illustrates how much husbands controlled and infantilized their wives in the late 1800s.


e first–person narrator Possible answer: The wallpaper is captur-ing more and more of the narrator’s atten-tion. It seems, in her mind, to be coming to life, as she attributes to it human qualities such as “impertinence” (line 136) and says that it seems to know what a “vicious influ-ence” (line 133) it has. Extend the Discussion How does the narrator connect her feelings about the wallpaper to those about her health?

V O C A B U L A R Y

own the wordrecurrent: Ask students to write a sentence demonstrating the meaning of the adjec-tive as “occurring time after time.” Possible answer: Tyrell’s recurrent headaches have forced him to miss school.

Targeted Passage3


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The wallpaper, as I said before, is torn off in spots, and it sticketh closer than a brother—they must have had perseverance as well as hatred.

Then the floor is scratched and gouged and splintered, the plaster itself is dug out here and there, and this great heavy bed which is all we found in the room, looks as if it had been through the wars.

But I don’t mind it a bit—only the paper.There comes John’s sister. Such a dear girl as she is, and so careful of me! I must

not let her find me writing.She is a perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper, and hopes for no better

profession. I verily believe she thinks it is the writing which made me sick!But I can write when she is out, and see her a long way off from these windows. fThere is one that commands the road, a lovely shaded winding road, and one

that just looks off over the country. A lovely country, too, full of great elms and velvet meadows.

This wallpaper has a kind of sub-pattern in a different shade, a particularly irritating one, for you can only see it in certain lights, and not clearly then.

But in the places where it isn’t faded and where the sun is just so—I can see a strange, provoking, formless sort of figure, that seems to skulk about behind that silly and conspicuous front design.

There’s sister on the stairs!

Well, the Fourth of July is over! The people are all gone and I am tired out. John thought it might do me good to see a little company, so we just had

mother and Nellie and the children down for a week.Of course I didn’t do a thing. Jennie sees to everything now.But it tired me all the same.John says if I don’t pick up faster he shall send me to Weir Mitchell3 in the fall.But I don’t want to go there at all. I had a friend who was in his hands once,

and she says he is just like John and my brother, only more so! gBesides, it is such an undertaking to go so far.I don’t feel as if it was worth while to turn my hand over for anything, and I’m

getting dreadfully fretful and querulous.I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time.Of course I don’t when John is here, or anybody else, but when I am alone.And I am alone a good deal just now. John is kept in town very often by serious

cases, and Jennie is good and lets me alone when I want her to.So I walk a little in the garden or down that lovely lane, sit on the porch under

the roses, and lie down up here a good deal.I’m getting really fond of the room in spite of the wallpaper. Perhaps because

of the wallpaper.It dwells in my mind so!I lie here on this great immovable bed—it is nailed down, I believe—and

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3. Weir Mitchell: Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, a physician famous for his “rest cure” for nervous diseases, which is no longer considered effective.

f

SOCIAL CONTEXTExamine the narrator’s description of John’s sister in lines 158–162. How do these lines add to your understanding of the story’s setting and how it affects the narrator?

g

SOCIAL CONTEXTReread lines 177–179. What is suggested or highlighted by the fact that all the male characters in the story share common traits? What role does the social context play in shaping the story’s setting? Cite evidence to support your answer.


differentiated instruction



for struggling readersConcept Support Clarify the allusion in lines 152–153. It refers to the words “and it sticketh closer than a brother,” which appear in the Book of Proverbs in the Hebrew Bible, or Old Testament. Ask students what the narrator means. Possible answer: The narrator means that the wallpaper is glued tightly to the wall, and therefore, the children who tore it off must have been very determined to do so.

for advanced learners/apAnalyze Character Foil [paired option] Remind students that a foil is a minor character that presents a striking contrast with a main char-acter. This contrast sheds light on the traits and motivations of the main character. Ask students what purpose the contrast between John’s sister and the narrator serves. What do readers learn about the narrator because of the sister’s presence in the story? Have partners brainstorm responses to this question, then

write character descriptions of the narrator with and without the information provided by the foil of John’s sister. Invite students to share their descriptions to prompt a class discussion of how the sister adds to the story.

f social contextPossible answer: The narrator’s description of John’s sister suggests that in this setting women are expected to be “perfect and enthusiastic housekeeper[s]” (line 160), and to find happiness and fulfillment in do-mestic life. It also shows that the narrator’s desire for a more intellectual or introspec-tive life through her writing is thought odd or abnormal.Extend the Discussion What does the nar-rator’s comment that John’s sister “hopes for no better” (line 160) suggest about the narrator herself?

g social contextPossible answer: The fact that all male characters in the story share these traits suggests that the traits are widely found among men of the time period and underscores how the social context cre-ated stifling conditions for women. The male doctors believe they know what ails the narrator, but don’t listen to her (lines 16–20); her husband dismisses her suffering (lines 89–90) and disapproves of her writing (line 81).


RL 3 RL 9

RL 3 RL 9




follow that pattern about by the hour. It is as good as gymnastics, I assure you. I start, we’ll say, at the bottom, down in the corner over there where it has not been touched, and I determine for the thousandth time that I will follow that pointless pattern to some sort of a conclusion.

I know a little of the principle of design, and I know this thing was not arranged on any laws of radiation, or alternation, or repetition, or symmetry, or anything else that I ever heard of.

It is repeated, of course, by the breadths, but not otherwise.Looked at in one way each breadth stands alone, the bloated curves and

flourishes—a kind of “debased Romanesque” with delirium tremens4—go waddling up and down in isolated columns of fatuity.

But, on the other hand, they connect diagonally, and the sprawling outlines run off in great slanting waves of optic horror, like a lot of wallowing seaweeds in full chase.

The whole thing goes horizontally, too, at least it seems so, and I exhaust myself in trying to distinguish the order of its going in that direction.

They have used a horizontal breadth for a frieze, and that adds wonderfully to the confusion.

There is one end of the room where it is almost intact, and there, when the crosslights fade and the low sun shines directly upon it, I can almost fancy radiation after all,—the interminable grotesques seem to form around a common center and rush off in headlong plunges of equal distraction.

It makes me tired to follow it. I will take a nap I guess.I don’t know why I should write this.I don’t want to.I don’t feel able.And I know John would think it absurd. But I must say what I feel and think

in some way—it is such a relief!But the effort is getting to be greater than the relief.Half the time now I am awfully lazy, and lie down ever so much.John says I mustn’t lose my strength, and has me take cod liver oil and lots of

tonics and things, to say nothing of ale and wine and rare meat.Dear John! He loves me very dearly, and hates to have me sick. I tried to have

a real earnest reasonable talk with him the other day, and tell him how I wish he would let me go and make a visit to Cousin Henry and Julia.

But he said I wasn’t able to go, nor able to stand it after I got there; and I did not make out a very good case for myself, for I was crying before I had finished. h

It is getting to be a great effort for me to think straight. Just this nervous weakness I suppose.

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.

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4. “debased Romanesque” with delirium tremens: Romanesque is an artistic style characterized by simple ornamentation. Delirium tremens refers to violent trembling and hallucinations caused by excessive drinking.

fatuity (fE-tLPG-tC) n. something foolish or stupid

h

FIRST-PERSON NARRATORReread lines 223–229. Imagine the “real earnest reasonable talk” the narrator describes. How might the account of this scene be different if John were the narrator? How do you think the change in point of view would affect your perception of the main character? Explain your answer.



tiered discussion promptsUse these prompts to help students link the narrator’s deteriorating state of mind to her obsession with the wallpaper as revealed in lines 152–171:

Connect How would you respond if a friend said that he or she had seen a “formless figure” in the wallpaper? Most students will express worry for the friend’s mental state. Analyze Why doesn’t the narrator mention the “formless figure” to her sister-in-law? Possible answer: The narrator doesn’t trust her and also may fear that she would be dis-missive or would relate the narrator’s report to John. Synthesize How would you characterize the narrator’s changing perception of the wallpaper? Possible answer: The narrator’s perception has grown increasingly distorted. Her hallucinations are becoming more distinct and animated as her mental health deteriorates.

for english language learnersVocabulary Support Point out and help students use context to define these expressions: • it had been through the wars (line 156),

“it had been used a lot”• tired out (line 172), “exhausted”• had [people] down (lines 173–174), “had

[people] visit”• sees to everything (line 175), “takes care of

everything”

• all the same (line 176), “even so”• pick up (line 177), “improve”• in his hands (line 178), “under his care”• a good deal (line 188), “often”• on the other hand (line 204), “in contrast”• to say nothing of (lines 224), “and also”• to think straight (line 230), “concentrate”

h first-person narrator

Possible answer: Readers may doubt that the narrator is capable of a “real earnest reasonable talk,” especially since she tells us that she started crying before she could finish. John would have focused on her emotional outburst and on his own view of her condition. He might have given a rational account of the situation, but ignored her feelings.

V O C A B U L A R Y

own the wordfatuity: Remind students that the connota-tion of the noun fatuity is extreme stupidity. The adjective form is fatuous. You could say, “I often find slapstick humor in movies to be stupid, but that actor’s movies are char-acterized by fatuity.” Ask students to create a pair of related statements that show how fatuity is stronger than stupidity.


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He said I was his darling and his comfort and all he had, and that I must take care of myself for his sake, and keep well.

He says no one but myself can help me out of it, that I must use my will and self-control and not let any silly fancies run away with me.

There’s one comfort, the baby is well and happy, and does not have to occupy this nursery with the horrid wallpaper.

If we had not used it, that blessed child would have! What a fortunate escape! Why, I wouldn’t have a child of mine, an impressionable little thing, live in sucha room for worlds.

I never thought of it before, but it is lucky that John kept me here after all, I can stand it so much easier than a baby, you see.

Of course I never mention it to them any more—I am too wise,—but I keep watch of it all the same.

There are things in that paper that nobody knows but me, or ever will.Behind that outside pattern the dim shapes get clearer every day.It is always the same shape, only very numerous.

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Analyze VisualsStudy this painting, then describe the emotion conveyed by the subject’s facial expression. Does this image make you feel more or less sympathetic toward John, the narrator’s husband? Explain your answer.

Portrait of Dr. Washington Epps, My Doctor (1885), Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. Oil on canvas, 64.2 cm × 51 cm. Private collection. © Bridgeman Art Library.

NA_L11PE-u04s33-Yello.indd 806 11/29/10 11:48:44 AM NA_L11PE-u04s33-Yello.indd 807 11/29/10 11:48:49 AMdifferentiated instructionfor struggling readers4 Targeted Passage [Lines 236–249]

This passage shows the narrator’s battle for sanity and her husband’s misguided approach to helping her.• How does John say that the narrator can

get well? (lines 236–237)• Why doesn’t the narrator mention what she

sees in the wallpaper? (line 245)

• How has the wallpaper changed? (lines 247–249)

for english language learnersVocabulary Support Clarify that Gilman is contrasting self-control with imagination. Work with students to complete a Two-Column Chart to list and define the vocabu-lary that establishes this contrast.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyTwo-Column Chart p. A25

Self-Control Imagination

• will (line 236), “determination, strength of char-acter”

• self-control (line 237), “discipline, restraint”

• stern (line 285), “strict, harsh”

• silly fancies (line 237), “foolish daydreams or fantasies”

• run away with (line 237) “take control of ”

• fancy (line 289), “unwise impulse”

Analyze Visuals

Possible answer: The subject’s expression conveys worry, concern, and even helpless-ness. Some students may say that the image of a concerned doctor makes them feel more sympathy, as it stresses John’s good intentions. Others may say that John’s good intentions do not compensate for his inability to empathize with his wife or to really listen to what she is telling him.

revisit the big questionWhat if no one took you SERIOUSLY?Discuss In lines 236–237, John tells the narra-tor that she is not powerless over her situa-tion. What power does he suggest she has? How useful or realistic is that power, especially in the situation John has placed the narra-tor? Possible answer: John suggests that the narrator can affect her situation by using the power of her will and self-control to restrain her imagination. This power is not very useful or realistic because her imagination is central to her identity. Also, he has placed her in a situa-tion where she has little to do but imagine.

Targeted Passage4





And it is like a woman stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern. I don’t like it a bit. I wonder—I begin to think—I wish John would take me away from here!

It is so hard to talk with John about my case, because he is so wise, and because he loves me so.

But I tried it last night.It was moonlight. The moon shines in all around just as the sun does.I hate to see it sometimes, it creeps so slowly, and always comes in by one

window or another.John was asleep and I hated to waken him, so I kept still and watched the

moonlight on that undulating wallpaper till I felt creepy.The faint figure behind seemed to shake the pattern, just as if she wanted

to get out.I got up softly and went to feel and see if the paper did move, and when I came

back John was awake.“What is it, little girl?” he said. “Don’t go walking about like that—you’ll

get cold.”I thought it was a good time to talk, so I told him that I really was not gaining

here, and that I wished he would take me away.“Why darling!” said he, “our lease will be up in three weeks, and I can’t see how

to leave before.“The repairs are not done at home, and I cannot possibly leave town just now. Of

course if you were in any danger, I could and would, but you really are better, dear, whether you can see it or not. I am a doctor, dear, and I know. You are gaining flesh and color, your appetite is better, I feel really much easier about you.”

“I don’t weigh a bit more,” said I, “nor as much; and my appetite may be better in the evening when you are here, but it is worse in the morning when you are away!”

“Bless her little heart!” said he with a big hug, “she shall be as sick as she pleases! But now let’s improve the shining hours5 by going to sleep, and talk about it in the morning!”

“And you won’t go away?” I asked gloomily.“Why, how can I, dear? It is only three weeks more and then we will take a

nice little trip of a few days while Jennie is getting the house ready. Really dear you are better!”

“Better in body perhaps—” I began, and stopped short, for he sat up straight and looked at me with such a stern, reproachful look that I could not say another word.

“My darling,” said he, “I beg of you, for my sake and for our child’s sake, as well as for your own, that you will never for one instant let that idea enter your mind! There is nothing so dangerous, so fascinating, to a temperament like yours. It is a false and foolish fancy. Can you not trust me as a physician when I tell you so?”

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5. improve the shining hours: make good use of time—an allusion to the poem “Against Idleness and Mischief” by Isaac Watts.

undulating (OnPjE-lAQtGng) adj. appearing to move in waves undulate v.

temperament (tDmPprE-mEnt) n. a person’s characteristic mode of emotional response


tiered discussion promptsUse these prompts to help students relate the narrator’s frustration with her husband to her deteriorating mental health described in lines 267–289:

Connect In your experience, how hard is it to change somebody’s mind when the person is convinced of an idea? Students should recognize that it can be very difficult to overcome strong convictions. Analyze Why is John so convinced about the causes of and appropriate treatment for his wife’s illness? Consider his training as a doctor and his expectations as a husband. Possible answer: As a doctor, John has been trained to treat his wife’s symptoms in a prescribed way. As a husband, he has been conditioned to value his views over his wife’s. This training prevents him from seeing that the treatment isn’t working.

for advanced learners/apContrast Character Types [small-group op-tion] Have students work in groups to explore whether John is a flat or round character. Ask groups to poll members and tally the results. Then, urge groups to discuss these questions: • What character traits define John?• What emotions does he display?• How, if at all, is he stereotypical?

• How, if at all, does John change in the course of the story?

• How does his character development reflect his role in the story?

After the discussion, challenge groups to re-visit the question of whether John is a round or flat character. Have them take a new poll and tally. Invite groups to share both tallies and explain any changes in their response.

V O C A B U L A R Y

own the word• undulating: Tell students that undulat-

ing comes from the verb undulate, which means “to move in waves or wavelike.” Have students list things that make undulating movements. Possible answers: ocean, seas, rivers, prairie grasses, leaves, snakes, swimming fish

• temperament: Point out that tempera-ment is a person’s manner of emotional response. Often the term is used to refer to someone’s tendency toward irritability or sensitivity and carries a negative con-notation. It implies that the person makes demands and does not work well with others.


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So of course I said no more on that score, and we went to sleep before long. He thought I was asleep first, but I wasn’t, and lay there for hours trying to decide whether that front pattern and the back pattern really did move together or separately.

On a pattern like this, by daylight, there is a lack of sequence, a defiance of law, that is a constant irritant to a normal mind. i

The color is hideous enough, and unreliable enough, and infuriating enough, but the pattern is torturing.

You think you have mastered it, but just as you get well underway in following, it turns a back-somersault and there you are. It slaps you in the face, knocks you down, and tramples upon you. It is like a bad dream.

The outside pattern is a florid arabesque,6 reminding one of a fungus. If you can imagine a toadstool in joints, an interminable string of toadstools, budding and sprouting in endless convolutions—why, that is something like it.

That is, sometimes!There is one marked peculiarity about this paper, a thing nobody seems to

notice but myself, and that is that it changes as the light changes.When the sun shoots in through the east window—I always watch for that first

long, straight ray—it changes so quickly that I never can quite believe it.That is why I watch it always.By moonlight—the moon shines in all night when there is a moon—I wouldn’t

know it was the same paper.At night in any kind of light, in twilight, candle light, lamplight, and worst of

all by moonlight, it becomes bars! The outside pattern I mean, and the woman behind it is as plain as can be.

I didn’t realize for a long time what the thing was that showed behind, that dim sub-pattern, but now I am quite sure it is a woman.

By daylight she is subdued, quiet. I fancy it is the pattern that keeps her so still.It is so puzzling. It keeps me quiet by the hour.I lie down ever so much now. John says it is good for me, and to sleep all I can.Indeed he started the habit by making me lie down for an hour after each meal.It is a very bad habit I am convinced, for you see I don’t sleep.And that cultivates deceit, for I don’t tell them I’m awake—O no!The fact is I am getting a little afraid of John.He seems very queer sometimes, and even Jennie has an inexplicable look.It strikes me occasionally, just as a scientific hypothesis,—that perhaps it is

the paper!I have watched John when he did not know I was looking, and come into the

room suddenly on the most innocent excuses, and I’ve caught him several times looking at the paper! And Jennie too. I caught Jennie with her hand on it once.

She didn’t know I was in the room, and when I asked her in a quiet, a very quiet voice, with the most restrained manner possible, what she was doing with

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6. florid arabesque: an elaborate interwoven pattern.

i

FIRST-PERSON NARRATORConsider the narrator’s statement in lines 294–295. Based on her description of the wallpaper, would you say she has “a normal mind”? Explain your answer.

convolution (kJnQvE-lLPshEn) n. a form or shape that is folded into curved, complicated windings

Language CoachPrefixes A prefix is a word part attached to the beginning of a word root. The prefix sub- means “under” or “beneath.” What does sub-pattern (line 316) mean, and what clues to its meaning can you find in lines 315–316?


V O C A B U L A R Y

revisit the big questionWhat if no one took you SERIOUSLY?Discuss In lines 319–329, the narrator explains how she follows John’s orders to rest after every meal, despite her belief that this is a bad habit. How does this suggest that she feels powerless? How do the narrator’s feelings toward John seem to be changing as a result? Possible answer: She is beginning to fear John (line 323) and to suspect that the paper is influencing him (lines 325–326).


This passage reveals the narrator’s hallucina-tions about the wallpaper. • What does the narrator say happens to the

wallpaper as the light changes? Why does she watch it? (lines 307–309)

• What does she see behind the wallpaper? (lines 313–314)

• Why does the narrator think the woman remains still? (line 317)

for english language learnersLanguage CoachPrefixesPossible answers: Sub-pattern means “secondary pattern.” A clue in the sen-tence is “what the thing was that showed behind.” Ask students to apply their knowledge of the prefix sub- and context to guess the meaning of the word subdued in line 317. Students should suggest that the word means “quiet or withdrawn.”


i first-person narrator

Possible answer: Her mind is beginning to seem anything but normal. She now sees a figure shaking the wallpaper, as if trying to escape.

IF STUDENTS NEED HELP . . . Reread lines 257–262 and 291–293 with them.

Targeted Passage5

own the word• convolution: Point out that, although

“intricacy” and “involvedness” are syn-onyms, neither produces the sense of malice or malevolence that convolution produces in this context. Have students write a sentence in which convolution produces a sense of brightness or benevolence.


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the paper—she turned around as if she had been caught stealing, and looked quite angry—asked me why I should frighten her so!

Then she said that the paper stained everything it touched, that she had found yellow smooches7 on all my clothes and John’s, and she wished we would be more careful!

Did not that sound innocent? But I know she was studying that pattern, and I am determined that nobody shall find it out but myself! j

Life is very much more exciting now than it used to be. You see I have something more to expect, to look forward to, to watch. I really do eat better, and am more quiet than I was.

John is so pleased to see me improve! He laughed a little the other day, and said I seemed to be flourishing in spite of my wallpaper.

I turned it off with a laugh. I had no intention of telling him it was because of the wallpaper—he would make fun of me. He might even want to take me away.

I don’t want to leave now until I have found it out. There is a week more, and I think that will be enough.

I’m feeling ever so much better! I don’t sleep much at night, for it is so interesting to watch developments; but I sleep a good deal in the daytime.In the daytime it is tiresome and perplexing.There are always new shoots on the fungus, and new shades of yellow all over

it. I cannot keep count of them, though I have tried conscientiously.It is the strangest yellow, that wallpaper! It makes me think of all the yellow things

I ever saw—not beautiful ones like buttercups, but old foul, bad yellow things.But there is something else about that paper—the smell! I noticed it the

moment we came into the room, but with so much air and sun it was not bad. Now we have had a week of fog and rain, and whether the windows are open or not, the smell is here.

It creeps all over the house.I find it hovering in the dining room, skulking in the parlor, hiding in the hall,

lying in wait for me on the stairs.It gets into my hair.Even when I go to ride, if I turn my head suddenly and surprise it—there is

that smell!Such a peculiar odor, too! I have spent hours in trying to analyze it, to find

what it smelled like.It is not bad—at first, and very gentle, but quite the subtlest, most enduring

odor I ever met.In this damp weather it is awful, I wake up in the night and find it hanging

over me.It used to disturb me at first. I thought seriously of burning the house—to

reach the smell.

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7. smooches: smudges.

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FIRST-PERSON NARRATORReread lines 323–338. How has the narrator’s attitude toward John and Jennie changed? What do you think they might say about her feelings if they were aware of them?

Language CoachWord Definitions Skulking (line 360) means “moving in a secretive manner” or “hiding with a bad intent.” What human qualities is the narrator giving to the smell?


for english language learnersLanguage CoachWord DefinitionsPossible answer: The smell is creepy, sly, and wants to do harm. Have students reread lines 360–371 and make a list of the words that describe the wallpaper’s smell. Have them consult a dictionary to find the words’ exact meanings.

for advanced learners/apSynthesize [paired option] Ask students how the narrator’s sensory perceptions have changed since she first observed the wall-paper. Invite partners to track the narrator’s visual, aural, and kinesthetic responses as her mental state deteriorates. Then, ask how her heightened awareness relates to her imagi-nativeness. What does Gilman suggest about the link between art and madness? Have students share their findings with the class.

• John does not believe she is sick, but he is careful and loving (lines 14, 56).

• John hates when she writes (line 81).

• I t is hard to talk to John about her feelings (line 253).

• John’s sister thinks that writing makes the narrator sick (line 161).

• Jennie is good and leaves the narrator alone (line 186).

• Jennie has “an inexplicable look” (line 324).

j first-person narrator

Possible answer: The narrator fears that the wallpaper has made John and Jennie “queer” and “inexplicable” (line 324). She doesn’t trust them, but rather sees them as adversaries and sneaky intruders (lines 327–329). If they knew this, they would probably dismiss her fears and suggest that she try to exert more self-control over her foolish fantasies.

IF STUDENTS NEED HELP . . . Work with them to complete an Open Mind diagram about the narrator. Urge students to list the narrator’s views about John and Jennie as they appear chronologically throughout the story.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyOpen Mind p. D9



RL 1 RL 3



But now I am used to it. The only thing I can think of that it is like is the color of the paper! A yellow smell. k

There is a very funny mark on this wall, low down, near the mopboard. A streak that runs round the room. It goes behind every piece of furniture, except the bed, a long, straight, even smooch, as if it had been rubbed over and over.

I wonder how it was done and who did it, and what they did it for. Round and round and round—round and round and round—it makes me dizzy!

I really have discovered something at last.Through watching so much at night, when it changes so, I have finally found out.The front pattern does move—and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it!Sometimes I think there are a great many women behind, and sometimes only

one, and she crawls around fast, and her crawling shakes it all over.

380

k

FIRST-PERSON NARRATOR How would an impartial, omniscient narrator describe the woman’s mind at this point? How would this change in the story’s point of view affect Gilman’s depiction of her main character? Explain your answer.

In Bed (1878), Federico Zandomeneghi. Oil on canvas, 60.5 cm × 73.5 cm. Galleria d’Arte Moderna, Florence. © Alinari/Art Resource, New York.


differentiated instructionfor struggling readers6 Targeted Passage [Lines 380–388]

This passage shows the narrator’s changing perception of the “woman” in the wallpaper.• Why does the narrator think the front

pattern moves? (line 381)• Whom does the narrator see behind the

front pattern? (lines 382–383)• What is the woman behind the pattern

trying to do? (line 384)

for english language learnersVocabulary: Idioms and Phrasal Verbs Use context to clarify these idioms from pages 810–811: • used to it (line 373), “accustomed to it”• found out (line 381), “discovered”• keeps still (line 385), “doesn’t move”• takes hold (line 386), “grabs”• half so bad (line 391), “terrible”

• away off (line 409), “far away”• open country (line 409), “distance”• It does not do (lines 413–414), “It is not

advisable”• a good deal (line 419), “a lot”• see through him (line 423), “see his

deception”

Analyze Visuals

Activity Ask students to imagine they are viewing this painting at a museum. Ask stu-dents what response they would have to the subject of the painting and to the wallpaper within it. Challenge them to consider how their response differs from viewing the paint-ing in the context of this story. Possible answer: Viewed in a museum, the painting seems to show a peacefully idle and sensuous woman surrounded by merely decorative wall-paper. In the context of the story, the painting reflects some of the disturbed qualities of the narrator and her perception of the wallpaper, making the woman seem distressed and the wallpaper seem overdone.


k first-person narrator

Possible answer: While in her own mind, the narrator sees her obsession as a belief in real events, a switch to an impartial, omniscient narrator would reveal that the woman’s mind is becoming unhinged. She seriously considers burning her own house down “to reach the smell” (lines 371–372), and she has become obsessed with the wallpaper. She sees it as a living entity and spends hours analyzing it (lines 365–366). She is increasingly agitated, secretive, des-perate, and irrational as her mental illness deepens.

IF STUDENTS NEED HELP . . . Urge them to reread lines 348–374.

Targeted Passage6


RL 1 RL 3




Then in the very bright spots she keeps still, and in the very shady spots she just takes hold of the bars and shakes them hard.

And she is all the time trying to climb through. But nobody could climb through that pattern—it strangles so; I think that is why it has so many heads.

They get through, and then the pattern strangles them off and turns them upside down, and makes their eyes white!

If those heads were covered or taken off it would not be half so bad.

I think that woman gets out in the daytime!And I’ll tell you why—privately—I’ve seen her!I can see her out of every one of my windows!It is the same woman, I know, for she is always creeping, and most women do

not creep by daylight.I see her on that long road under the trees, creeping along, and when a carriage

comes she hides under the blackberry vines.I don’t blame her a bit. It must be very humiliating to be caught creeping by

daylight!I always lock the door when I creep by daylight. I can’t do it at night, for I

know John would suspect something at once.And John is so queer now, that I don’t want to irritate him. I wish he would

take another room! Besides, I don’t want anybody to get that woman out at night but myself.

I often wonder if I could see her out of all the windows at once.But, turn as fast as I can, I can only see out of one at one time.And though I always see her, she may be able to creep faster than I can turn!I have watched her sometimes away off in the open country, creeping as fast

as a cloud shadow in a high wind.

If only that top pattern could be gotten off from the under one! I mean to try it, little by little.I have found out another funny thing, but I shan’t tell it this time! It does not

do to trust people too much.There are only two more days to get this paper off, and I believe John is

beginning to notice. I don’t like the look in his eyes.And I heard him ask Jennie a lot of professional questions about me. She had

a very good report to give.She said I slept a good deal in the daytime.John knows I don’t sleep very well at night, for all I’m so quiet!He asked me all sorts of questions, too, and pretended to be very loving

and kind.As if I couldn’t see through him! l

390

400

410

420

l

FIRST-PERSON NARRATORConsider the narrator’s statements in lines 403–404 and line 423. Why is she turning against her husband? Explain what John’s real concerns might be.


tiered discussion promptsUse these prompts to help students under-stand the narrator’s confusion and bizarre behavior in lines 392–410:

Connect Have you ever known a small child who imagines people or animals or mon-sters? How does that experience help you understand the narrator’s mental state? Students should recognize that, like a small child, the narrator has lost the ability to differentiate fantasy and reality. Analyze Why does the narrator lock the door when she creeps by daylight? Possible answer: The narrator does not wish to be seen by Jennie or John. She is now fearful and paranoid about their intentions. On some level she may also be aware that her behavior is odd.Evaluate How would you assess the effects of the “rest cure” on the narrator? Most students will recognize that the rest cure is an abysmal failure that has contributed to the narrator’s mental deterioration.

for advanced learners/apSymbolism Have students speculate on the meaning of the woman in the wallpaper. Who does she represent? Is she an aspect of the narrator’s mind or a symbol of women in general? Does her situation reflect the narrator’s plight or the plight of all women of Gilman’s time? Encourage students to write a persuasive paragraph in response to these questions. Have the class consider the paragraphs and voice opinions.

for reluctant readersConnect with the Text Ask students as they read the story if they feel more sympathy for the narrator or for her husband. Do they believe that the narrator sees a woman in the wallpaper? How would they respond if someone they knew claimed to see things that were not real? Lead a class discussion in which students talk about strategies for responding to someone who may be confused but strongly believes that he or she is right.

l first-person narrator

Possible answer: The narrator is turning against her husband because she believes that John is not motivated by love, but by malevolent intentions (lines 413–414). She thinks that he wants to remove the woman from the wallpaper (lines 404–405). Stu-dents should recognize that the narrator’s perceptions are paranoid and distorted. However, they should also appreciate that John’s real concerns—his desire to help his wife and keep her safe—have backfired and harmed her.Extend the Discussion In what ways does John deserve the narrator’s antagonism? Explain.


Targeted Passagecontinued

6


RL 1 RL 3



Still, I don’t wonder he acts so, sleeping under this paper for three months.It only interests me, but I feel sure John and Jennie are secretly affected by it.

Hurrah! This is the last day, but it is enough. John to stay in town overnight, and won’t be out until this evening.

Jennie wanted to sleep with me—the sly thing! but I told her I should undoubtedly rest better for a night all alone.

That was clever, for really I wasn’t alone a bit! As soon as it was moonlight and that poor thing began to crawl and shake the pattern, I got up and ran to help her.

I pulled and she shook, I shook and she pulled, and before morning we had peeled off yards of that paper.

A strip about as high as my head and half around the room.And then when the sun came and that awful pattern began to laugh at me, I

declared I would finish it today!We go away tomorrow, and they are moving all my furniture down again to

leave things as they were before.Jennie looked at the wall in amazement, but I told her merrily that I did it out

of pure spite at the vicious thing.She laughed and said she wouldn’t mind doing it herself, but I must not get tired.How she betrayed herself that time! mBut I am here, and no person touches this paper but me,—not alive!She tried to get me out of the room—it was too patent! But I said it was so

quiet and empty and clean now that I believed I would lie down again and sleep all I could; and not to wake me even for dinner—I would call when I woke.

So now she is gone, and the servants are gone, and the things are gone, and there is nothing left but that great bedstead nailed down, with the canvas mattress we found on it.

We shall sleep downstairs tonight, and take the boat home tomorrow.I quite enjoy the room, now it is bare again.How those children did tear about here!This bedstead is fairly gnawed!But I must get to work.I have locked the door and thrown the key down into the front path.I don’t want to go out, and I don’t want to have anybody come in, till

John comes.I want to astonish him.I’ve got a rope up here that even Jennie did not find. If that woman does get

out, and tries to get away, I can tie her!But I forgot I could not reach far without anything to stand on!This bed will not move!I tried to lift and push it until I was lame, and then I got so angry I bit off a

little piece at one corner—but it hurt my teeth.Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks

horribly and the pattern just enjoys it! All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths just shriek with derision!

430

440

450

460

m

FIRST-PERSON NARRATORThe anonymous narrator of this story influenced the development of a character type in American literature and film—the emotionally disturbed wife. Sue Kaufman’s 1967 novel Diary of a Mad Housewife, which was later made into a film, owes much to Gilman’s disturbing experiment in first-person narration. Laura Brown, a character in the novel and film The Hours, is a more recent example of the “mad housewife.” Reread lines 426–442. Which details in this section of the narrative do you find compelling? Explain your answer.


tiered discussion promptsUse these prompts to help students trace the narrator’s mental collapse detailed in lines 443–467:

Connect How do you feel about the nar-rator at this point in the story? What are your concerns for her? Accept all thoughtful responses.Analyze How would you characterize the narrator’s behavior? Give examples to support your characterization. Possible answer: The narrator is behaving bizarrely. She has torn down the wallpaper (lines 443, 465), gnawed and chewed on the bedstead (lines 453, 463–464), locked the door and thrown the key out the window (line 455), brought up a rope to tie up the woman (lines 459–460), and tried pushing the nailed bed until she was lame (line 463).Synthesize How will John respond to the narrator’s turn for the worse? Some students will say that John will finally recognize that his treatment has failed. Others will say that he, like Jennie, will try in vain to pacify the narrator.

for advanced learners/apAnalyze Word Choice Encourage students to study the dictionary definitions for the word creep. Have them work in pairs to discuss the word’s various meanings and connotations, then to consider these questions: How does the word connect with the narrator’s feelings about the colonial mansion, her husband, and her general predicament? Is Gilman’s use of this word ironic? How does the word accumulate new meaning and connotation

during the course of the narrative? How would the final scenes of the story be differ-ent if Gilman had used a different word, such as sneak, slink, or skulk? Invite partners to share their thoughts with the class.


m first-person narrator

Review with students the differences that result from first-person and omniscient narration. Then have students read lines 426–442, making notes of details they find compelling or disturbing. Discuss why first-person narration is critical to this story.Possible answer: The narrator feels she is in partnership with the woman she sees in the wallpaper (lines 430–433); the narrator hears the wallpaper pattern laughing at her (lines 435–436).

Extend the Discussion How has the narra-tor’s assessment of Jennie’s character and motivations changed?


RL 1 RL 3




I am getting angry enough to do something desperate. To jump out of the window would be admirable exercise, but the bars are too strong even to try.

Besides I wouldn’t do it. Of course not. I know well enough that a step likethat is improper and might be misconstrued.

I don’t like to look out of the windows even—there are so many of those creeping women, and they creep so fast.

I wonder if they all come out of that wallpaper as I did? nBut I am securely fastened now by my well-hidden rope—you don’t get me

out in the road there!I suppose I shall have to get back behind the pattern when it comes night,

and that is hard!It is so pleasant to be out in this great room and creep around as I please!I don’t want to go outside. I won’t, even if Jennie asks me to.For outside you have to creep on the ground, and everything is green instead

of yellow.But here I can creep smoothly on the floor, and my shoulder just fits in that

long smooch around the wall, so I cannot lose my way.Why there’s John at the door!It is no use, young man, you can’t open it!How he does call and pound!Now he’s crying for an axe.It would be a shame to break down that beautiful door!“John dear!” said I in the gentlest voice, “the key is down by the front steps,

under a plantain leaf!”That silenced him for a few moments.Then he said—very quietly indeed, “Open the door, my darling!”“I can’t,” said I. “The key is down by the front door under a plantain leaf!”And then I said it again, several times, very gently and slowly, and said it so

often that he had to go and see, and he got it of course, and came in. He stopped short by the door.

“What is the matter?” he cried. “What are you doing!”I kept on creeping just the same, but I looked at him over my shoulder.“I’ve got out at last,” said I, “in spite of you and Jane.8 And I’ve pulled off most

of the paper, so you can’t put me back!”Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path

by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every time! �

470

480

490

500

8. in spite of you and Jane: As Jane is previously unmentioned, the name may be a typographical error by the original printer of the story in place of the name of the housekeeper, Jennie, or Cousin Julia; or it may denote the narrator herself, freed from her commonplace, wifely, “Jane” persona.

misconstrued (mGsQkEn-strLdP) adj. misunderstood; misinterpreted misconstrue v.

n

FIRST-PERSON NARRATORWhat does the narrator now believe about the wallpaper?


revisit the big questionWhat if no one took you SERIOUSLY?Discuss In your opinion, does the narrator feel powerless in lines 477–484? Why or why not? Possible answer: The narrator says that it is “pleasant” to be out and creeping about the room “as I please” (line 479). Her com-ments suggest that, ironically, she is contented. She has achieved a kind of freedom from her concerns about pleasing John and meeting the expectations of other people. Now she is doing what she chooses, however crazy it may be, and so feels less powerless.


This passage shows the narrator’s final descent into madness.• How does John get into the room? (lines

494–497)• What is the narrator doing? (lines 500–501)• What is John’s reaction? (line 502)

for english language learnersVocabulary Support Point out and teach these expressions on page 813, using context to help students build meaning:• well enough (line 470), “of course”• as I please (line 479), “as much as I want to”• lose my way (line 484), “get lost, wander”• stopped short (lines 496–497), “stopped

suddenly”• just the same (line 499), “as I was before”

n first-person narrator

Possible answer: The narrator now believes that she has freed all the women in the wallpaper and that she herself has escaped from it.

IF STUDENTS NEED HELP . . . Reread lines 392–394 and 472–474.


selection wrap–upREAD WITH A PURPOSE Now that students have read the story, ask them to compare the narrator’s state of mind at the beginning and end of the story. Possible answer: In the beginning, the narrator is nervous and restless, but by the end, she has lost her reason.

INDEPENDENT READINGStudents might enjoy Henry James’ The Portrait of a Lady, a novel of psychological realism concerning a woman trapped by social conventions.

V O C A B U L A R Y

own the wordmisconstrued: Tell students that miscon-strued is synonymous with misunderstand-ing or misinterpreting. Ask students if they have ever misconstrued someone’s comments or actions and, so, how they dealt with the situation. Possible answer: Students should give examples of misunder-standings and how they resolved them.

Targeted Passage7


RL 1 RL 3

L 4


Reading for Information

THE FORERUNNER

A M O N T H LY M AG A Z I N E

CHARLOTTE PERKINS GILMAN

WHY I WROTE “THE YELLOW WALLPAPER”

Many and many a reader has asked that. When the story first came out, in the New England Magazine about 1891, a Boston physician made protest in The Transcript.Such a story ought not to be written, he said; it was enough to drive anyone mad to read it.

Another physician, in Kansas I think, wrote to say that it was the best description of incipient insanity he had ever seen, and—begging my pardon—had I been there?

Now the story of the story is this:For many years I suffered from a severe

and continuous nervous breakdown tending to melancholia—and beyond. During about the third year of this trouble I went, in devout faith and some faint stir of hope, to a noted specialist in nervous diseases, the best known in the country. This wise man put me to bed and applied the rest cure, to which a still good physique responded so promptly that he concluded there was nothing much the matter with me, and sent me home with solemn advice to “live as domestic a life as far as possible,” to “have but two hours’ intellectual life a day,” and “never to touch pen, brush or pencil again as long as I lived.” This was in 1887.

I went home and obeyed those directions for some three months, and came so near the border line of utter mental ruin that I could see over.

Then, using the remnants of intelligence that remained, and helped by a wise friend, I cast the noted specialist’s advice to the winds and went to work again—work, the normal life of every human being; work, in which is joy and growth and service, without which one is a pauper and a parasite; ultimately recovering some measure of power.

Being naturally moved to rejoicing by this narrow escape, I wrote The Yellow Wallpaper, with its embellishments and additions to carry out the ideal (I never had hallucinations or objections to my mural decorations) and sent a copy to the physician who so nearly drove me mad. He never acknowledged it.

The little book is valued by alienists and as a good specimen of one kind of literature. It has to my knowledge saved one woman from a similar fate—so terrifying her family that they let her out into normal activity and she recovered.

But the best result is this. Many years later I was told that the great specialist had admitted to friends of his that he had altered his treatment of neurasthenia since reading The Yellow Wallpaper.

It was not intended to drive people crazy, but to save people from being driven crazy, and it worked.

JOURNAL ARTICLE Charlotte Perkins Gilman herself suffered a profound depression and was prescribed a “rest cure” by a noted neurologist of the day. In this 1913 article from her feminist journal Forerunner, she says she wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper” to bear witness to the horrors of this “cure” and to attest to her recovery.


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connectThis selection provides insight into Gilman’s approach to writing “The Yellow Wallpaper.” You can also use it as a minilesson on reading for information.

reading for informationPoint out that “Why I Wrote ‘The Yellow Wall-paper’” is an article that Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote for her feminist magazine. Discuss the article’s likely audience. Then ask• Who is the likely audience of Forerunner? • How might awareness of her audience affect

Gilman’s writing?

tiered discussion promptsUse these prompts to help students link Gilman’s personal experience with mental ill-ness to her writing of “The Yellow Wallpaper”:

Connect In what ways can it be helpful during a difficult time to hear how someone else survived a difficult experience? Accept all thoughtful responses.Analyze Gilman’s mental breakdown fol-lowed an unhappy and stifling marriage. Use this information and her article to ex-plain why she wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Possible answer: She wrote it to illustrate the dangers of “rest cures” for depression, to help others suffering from similar conditions, and perhaps to share the devastating effects of an unhappy marriage.Synthesize What traits and experiences do you think Gilman and the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” have in common? Possible answer: Both Gilman and the narrator have imaginative power and a habit of story-making, a tendency toward melan-cholia, and a strong desire to write and to work. Both felt powerless in their marriages and both wished to be more than just enthu-siastic housekeepers.



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After Reading

Comprehension 1. Summarize Describe the “rest cure” treatment and explain why it is

prescribed for the narrator.

2. Recall Why does the narrator hate the wallpaper at first?

3. Clarify Who does the narrator think she is at the end of the story?

Text Analysis 4. Analyze First-Person Narrator The narrator of this story is unreliable—you

can’t always trust that what she says is accurate or complete. How does her highly subjective account contribute to your perception of her character’s internal development? Cite evidence from the story to support your answer.

5. Interpret Symbolism Reread lines 380–391 and consider the narrator’s powerlessness. What might the yellow wallpaper symbolize in the story? Consider the following as you formulate your answer:

• the narrator’s attitude toward both her “condition” and her marriage• what she sees in the “strangling” pattern of the paper• her exhilaration when she rips the wallpaper off the wall

6. Understand Social Context Examine the chart you filled in as you read. What conclusions can you draw about the social context of this story? Citing evidence from both the short story and the article on page 814, explain

• how wives were expected to behave in the 1890s

• how women seem to have been treated by the men—husbands, brothers, doctors—who cared for them

• what Gilman thought about women’s being denied meaningful work and personal power, and how she addresses these issues in this story

Text Criticism 7. Different Perspectives At the time “The Yellow Wallpaper” was published, most

critics read it as a horror tale about madness or, after Gilman’s explanation appeared in 1913, as an exposé of women’s medical treatment. Only a few saw what feminists in the 1970s would interpret as Gilman’s political assumptions. Feminists read the story as a criticism of marriage and the oppression of women. Explain which of these interpretations you favor, citing evidence from the text.

What if no one took you seriously?In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator is doubted by the doctor and her own husband, with devastating consequences. Is it possible to believe in yourself if no one else seems to? Explain your answer.


RL 1 Cite evidence to support inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. RL 3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story. RL 9 Demonstrate knowledge of nineteenth-century foundational works of American literature. RI 1 Cite evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

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Practice and ApplyFor preliminary support of post-reading questions, use these copy masters:

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MastersReading Check p. 206First-Person Narrator p. 199Question Support p. 207Additional selection questions are provided for teachers on page 193.

answers1. The rest cure calls for little activity or

stimulation and long hours of sleep. It is prescribed for the narrator’s depression.

2. Its sickly yellow color and gaudy, chaotic pattern offend her artistic sensibility.

3. She thinks she is one of the women released from the wallpaper.

Possible answers: 4. common core focus Analyze First-

Person Narrator Readers experience a compelling account of madness in which it is unclear whether the narrator is sane. The narrator is unreliable, so readers struggle to separate reality from hallucination and may find the end of the story unclear.

5. The wallpaper, with its elaborately chang-ing patterns and trapped women, could rep-resent the narrator’s madness. It could also symbolize her marriage, which imprisons, then enrages, and finally drives her mad. Or it might represent society that imprisons women with expectations.

6. common core focus Understand Social Context Women should avoid artis-tic pursuits, control emotions and imagi-nation, limit intellectual activity, and find happiness in domesticity (lines 49–50, 81, 109, 121–123, 219, 236–237; article paragraph 4). Women were dismissed, infantilized, controlled, scoffed at, told not to question (lines 7, 9, 14, 219, 267–279, 345; article paragraphs 4–5). Gilman thought that work generates meaning, power, and self-confidence (lines 24–25; article paragraph 6). Gilman wrote her story in response to experiencing this treatment of women in her own life.

7. Gothic Horror Tale: the setting; the “living” wallpaper; the trapped woman that drives the narrator insane; Exposé: treatment harmed both the narrator and Gilman; Feminist Critique: women’s social and eco-nomic oppression leads to madness; “cure” makes them worse.

What if no one took you SERIOUSLY? Answers will vary, but students may say that it is possible to believe in yourself without the support of others, although it is more difficult in that situation.


RL 1, RL 3, RL 9, RI 1


Vocabulary in Context vocabulary practice

Choose the word that is not related in meaning to the other words.

1. (a) extravagant, (b) showy, (c) flamboyant, (d) lowly 2. (a) undulating, (b) flying, (c) soaring, (d) gliding 3. (a) consideration, (b) convolution, (c) intricacy, (d) complexity 4. (a) periodic, (b) repeated, (c) refused, (d) recurrent 5. (a) fatuity, (b) favor, (c) silliness, (d) folly 6. (a) miscellaneous, (b) misconstrued, (c) various, (d) diversified 7. (a) vivid, (b) lurid, (c) sensational, (d) vapid 8. (a) humidity, (b) personality, (c) disposition, (d) temperament

academic vocabulary in writing

“The Yellow Wallpaper” exposes social issues from the late 1800s. If you were writing a short story, which issues would you focus on? Explain your answer in a short paragraph, using at least two of the Academic Vocabulary words.

vocabulary strategy: word analogiesA word analogy is a statement that compares, or shows the relationships, between pairs of words. Relationships frequently expressed include synonyms, antonyms, cause and effect, part and whole, and location. Analogies are normally written like the following example.

FLAMBOYANT : PLAIN :: textured : smooth

Studying the word relationships in analogies can increase your vocabulary.

PRACTICE For each item, choose the word pair that expresses a relationship most similar to that of the capitalized words. Then identify the relationship type.

1. HURRICANE : FLOOD :: a. plumber : pipes b. calm : agitated c. drought : famine d. lawyer : court 2. SAGACIOUS : SHREWD :: a. messy : tidy b. shy : careless c. joy : gloom d. retribution : punishment 3. EXTRAVAGANT : FRUGAL :: a. accept : forbid b. crime : robbery c. merry : cheerful

d. courage : bravery 4. CHOIR : TENOR :: a. key : lock b. rider : horse c. shallow : deep d. garden : tomato

• apparent • confine • focus • expose • perceive

word listconvolutionfatuity flamboyant luridmisconstruedrecurrent temperamentundulating

Go to thinkcentral.com.KEYWORD: HML11-816

InteractiveVocabulary


L 5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships. L 6 Acquire and use accurately general academic words and phrases.

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answersVocabulary in Context

vocabulary practice 1. (d) lowly 5. (b) favor 2. (a) undulating 6. (b) misconstrued 3. (a) consideration 7. (d) vapid 4. (c) refused 8. (a) humidity

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterVocabulary Practice p. 204

academic vocabulary in writingAnswers will vary, but should identify a social issue and use at least one academic vocabu-lary word.

vocabulary strategy: word analogiesAnswers: 1. (c) drought : famine 2. (d) retribution : punishment 3. (a) accept : forbid 4. (d) garden : tomato

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterVocabulary Strategy p. 205

for english language learnersTask Support: Vocabulary Practice Ask stu-dents which words in the box are cognates from their home languages. Discuss whether students have heard or read the words in those languages. Urge them to use their knowledge of the cognate meanings to help construct meaning for the English word.

for advanced learners/apTemperament Words Ask partners to brain-storm additional temperament words, then classify the words by the four categories in the Practice or other categories of their choosing. Urge students to use a Classification Chart or other appropriate graphic organizer to orga-nize and analyze the frequency of words in the different categories. Which category has the most words? What range of words is available, from mild to extreme, in each category? Invite

students to speculate about the reasons for variations in frequency and range.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyClassification Chart p. B17

Keywords direct students to a WordSharp tutorial on thinkcentral.com or to other types of vocabulary practice and review.

Interactive Vocabulary


L 5, L 6



Language grammar and style: Choose Effective Verb TenseReview the Grammar and Style note on page 801. The immediacy and power of “The Yellow Wallpaper” come in part from Gilman’s choice to have the narrator tell the story mostly in the present tense as though writing in a diary. In this way, the reader plunges directly into the narrator’s mind and follows its dark descent. Notice the use of present-tense verbs in this chilling example from the end of the story:

But I am securely fastened now by my well-hidden rope—you don’t get me out in the road there! (lines 475–476)

PRACTICE The following paragraph is a sample from another short story. Notice how the past-tense verbs create a certain distance between the reader and the events. Revise the paragraph, writing it in the present tense to achieve a different effect.

I threw another log on the fi re, waiting for Ahmer to come home. Dinner sat on the table, growing cold. Ahmer had been gone for hours and I was sure he had left with hurt feelings. Why did we always argue this way on special occasions? It was as though we didn’t really want to celebrate, or didn’t know how.

reading-writing connectionExpand your understanding of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by responding to this prompt. Then, use the revising tips to improve your analysis.

YOUR

TURN

Go to thinkcentral.com.KEYWORD: HML11-817

InteractiveRevision


• In your first paragraph, include a thesis statement that brings out the control-ling idea of your analysis.

• Cite examples and quota-tions from the story to support your conclusions.

• Include your personal thoughts and comments about the examples you used from the story.

• Respond to any opposing claims that you expect readers might make.

WRITE AN ANALYSIS Although most contemporary readers respond positively to “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the editor of the Atlantic Monthly in 1892 rejected it for publication. By way of explanation, he offered this candid reaction: “I could not forgive myself if I made others as miserable as I have made myself.” How did the story affect you? Write a three-to-five-paragraph analysis explaining your own thoughts and feelings about the story. In your analysis, discuss the effect Gilman’s present-tense narration had on you.

writing prompt revising tips

L 1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing. W 1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. W 1a–b Introduce a precise claim; develop claim and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each in a manner that anticipates the audience’s possible biases.


Language grammar and style

Help students rewrite the first example in the past tense for comparison. Possible answer: But I was securely fastened by my well-hidden rope—you could not have gotten me out in the road! (For more on verb tenses, see pages R59–R60 of the Grammar Handbook.)Possible answer: I throw another log on the fire. Then I wait for Ahmer to come home. Dinner sits on the table. It grows cold. Ahmer has been gone for hours, and I am sure that his feelings are hurt. Why do we always argue this way on special occasions? It is as though we don’t really want to celebrate, or don’t know how.

RESOURCE MANAGER—Copy MasterChoose Effective Verb Tense p. 208

reading-writing connectionHave students begin by listing their response to story features—topic, character, setting, plot, and theme—in a Two-Column Chart.

BEST PRACTICES TOOLKIT—TransparencyTwo-Column Chart p. A25

Assess and ReteachAssess

DIAGNOSTIC AND SELECTION TESTSSelection Test A pp. 213–214Selection Test B/C pp. 215–216

Interactive Selection Test on thinkcentral.comReteachLevel Up Online Tutorials on thinkcentral.comReteaching Worksheets on thinkcentral.com

Literature Lesson 10, Grammar Lesson 16

for struggling writersWriting Support• Offer this thesis sentence starter for

students’ personal response: My overall response to “The Yellow Wallpaper” was

.• Suggest that students use two literary fea-

tures from the Two-Column Chart as a basis for writing two paragraphs after their thesis statement.

• Encourage students to add details that sup-port their opinions.

Writing OnlineThe following tools are available online at thinkcentral.com and on WriteSmart CD-ROM:

• Interactive Graphic Organizers• Interactive Student Models• Interactive Revision Lessons

For additional grammar instruction, see GrammarNotes on thinkcentral.com.


L 1, W 1, W 1–b,

L11TE-u04s44-yellow_NA.indd 817L11TE-u04s44-yellow_NA.indd 817 1/24/11 10:16:06 AM1/24/11 10:16:06 AM

a new role for women focus and motivate the yellow wallpaper

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