Question

What clue does the narrator's repeated lament, "what can one do?' give the reader about her personality? (pg. 1) Describe other aspects of the woman's personality that are revealed in this passage. What conflicting emotions is she having toward her husband, her condition , and her home?

Answer 1

This question refers to the story "The Yellow Wallpaper." In this story, we meet a woman who is sick, according to her husband. He is a doctor, and the treatment that he suggests for her is complete rest and relaxation, which eventually leads her to insanity.

When the narrator repeateadly laments "what can we do?" we get a glimpse of her passivity and the way in which she defers all decisions to her husband. Other aspects of the personality of this woman are the fact that she considers her husband to know best, even though she disagrees with the treatment and is mad at the possibility of receiving it. The woman appears to be conflicted in her emotions because she outwardly seems to really value her husband's opinion, and appears to be ready to listen to everything he says. At the same time, she appears to be mad about his behaviour and hold some resentment towards him or their marriage.