Question

In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the author explores the theme of how society views women. Explain what the commonly held view of women is in this story. Include at least two specific details from the story that develop this theme.

Answer 1

1. Yellow Wallpaper Theme : Floral decoration on the interior of walls is a symbol of female imprisonment within the domestic sphere.""When John curbs her creativity and writing, the narrator takes it upon herself to make some sense of the wallpaper. She reverses her initial feeling of being watched by the wallpaper and starts actively studying and decoding its meaning.""
2. Creativity vs Rationality Theme : From the beginning of the story,the narrator's creativity is set in conflict with John's rationality." John does not recognize his wife’s fundamental creativity and believes that he can force out her imaginative fancies and replace them with his own solid rationality. "