Question

Explain how the events of the story would have been different if Gilman had chosen to write in third person, or another character’s first-person point of view.

Answer 1

The events of the story would have been very different if it were written from the point of view of John or his sister Jane. Another character wouldn’t have been able to describe to the reader the importance of the wallpaper, and its significance would have been lost. The idea of the woman being kept in the room may have influenced the reader to perceive her differently. Without her perspective, she would have been perceived as just a troubled woman. In Gilman’s version, you sympathize with her because you are getting a firsthand account of how she feels in the room. Without her firsthand description of the room and her thoughts, it would be an entirely different story altogether.

Answer 2

The story would have been less personal.