The Yellow Wallpaper
By Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Pre-reading Strategies
Terms to Know:
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felicity
inharmonious
impertinence
breadths
frieze
alternation
reproachful
arabesque
interminable
 derision
Prior Knowledge: (2 marks each)
1. Review indirect and direct characterization. Explain what they mean using
creative, original examples.
* see characterization resource
2. In the last few years, mental health has become a popular topic of discussion
among doctors as well as employers. Describe some of your thoughts on mental
health.
Comprehension Questions: (3 marks each)
Complete the following questions using a fully developed paragraph. Include
thoughtful interpretation, supportive examples, and personal connections.
1. Who is narrating the story? Find an example (phrase or sentence) to show
this point of view. How does this give us a better understanding of the
characters?
2. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” we see a woman teetering on the brink of insanity.
In your opinion, what or who is responsible for her break with reality?
Explain why you think this; use specific examples from the story.
3. Is John a good guy, a bad guy, or a little of both? Explain why you think so;
use examples.
4. The narrator starts to believe that the wallpaper has human qualities.
Describe some of these human traits and how they affect her.
5. What do you think Gilman suggests by ending her story the way she does? In
other words, what message is Gilman trying to present by leaving her main
character in the bizarre situation we find her in at the end of the story?
Creative response: (5 marks)
Design three images showing the progression of change for either the
wallpaper itself or the narrator’s mental state.