“The Yellow Wallpaper” – Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Feminist Reading
1. Based on Gilman’s description of John (the husband), what can we infer about
Gilman’s view of men and their role in the oppression of women.
2. Explain what the narrator’s revelation that the behaviors she was observing were
really her own behaviors reveals about her psyche.
3. Based on the specific descriptions of the room in which the narrator must stay, explain
the symbolic meaning of the room.
4. Based on the specific descriptions of the wallpaper, explain the symbolic meaning of
the wallpaper.
5. Review page 11 and explain the symbolic meaning of creeping, daylight, moonlight
and stillness.
6. Analyze the ending of this short story through a ‘feminist critical lens.’ How do the
“crazy” actions of the narrator translate into the real world. What could a woman do in
an oppressive society and how would people react to such actions.