“The Yellow Wallpaper” Pre-Reading Exercise
Directions: Write about the following prompt. Pretend that you are
assuming the role of the following character and write a journal or diary
entry. It should be written in 1st person.
Imagine that you have been feeling tired lately. Doctors really have no real
idea what is wrong with you so their cure is to confine you to your room.
You are not allowed any stimulus. Any extra stimulus, doctor’s feel, would
make you even more tired. This means no cell phone, no television, no
computer, and no reading. All you have is a bed, a closet, and a window
with bars on it. This is so you can rest and find your energy again. What
do you think you would feel like? What would entertain you? Discuss your
struggles in your diary.
Describe what your mental state would be like on the 1st day, the 10th day and
the 30th day of this captivity. Write about it in your diary (this journal
entry). Really assume the role of this character. Be creative and
imaginative!!!!
****When you finish, open up your book to page 765 and read the “Build
Background” section for the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper.”
“The Yellow Wallpaper” During-Reading
Assignment
Directions: Trace any examples of the narrator's
deteriorating mind as you read. To do this, create a
heading for each of the following categories on your
own paper. As you read list quotes (including the page
number) that you feel illustrate each of those
categories.
1. The narrator's loss of control over her thoughts
2. The narrator's hallucinations
3. The narrator's growing paranoia
4. The narrator's obsessions with various ideas/things
You need a total of sixteen quotes (at least two for each
category)—not twelve for each category.
“The Yellow Wallpaper” Post-Reading
Assignment
Directions: After you finish the During-Reading
Assignment, imagine that you are the narrator in
the story. On a separate piece of paper illustrate
what you think the narrator sees in the wallpaper.
What do you think that yellow wallpaper looks like
to her?