The Yellow Wallpaper

Your essay must have a Works Cited page in proper MLA format. The essay should be professional, double-spaced, neatly typed, and in a clear, easy to read font. You should make use of two to three outside sources for this essay, not including your text. Do your own work. Do not plagiarize. Plagiarized work will receive an “0.” Otherwise, your ideas should be your own. You must incorporate textual evidence (quotes/details, cited in MLA format) from the work itself to support the claim(s) you are making in this essay, as well. Every body paragraph should contain at least one MLA quote. Write original material. Do not just fill up the paragraph with quotes; make your quotes short. Quotes should usually be only one sentence long. I want your words, not Gillman’s. Use them to support what YOU are saying. Also, avoid summarizing the story in the essay. You may choose to focus your essay on a particular element of Gillman’ short story. There are many that would be a fine choice for a short essay like this. For example:

What is important about the title, “The Yellow Wallpaper?”
Could the wallpaper have been any other color? How would a change in color have changed the story? How does the color “yellow” affect you? Do you like (or dislike) it? What are the psychological implications of the color “yellow”? How would a different color change the story?
How does the narrator’s description of the wallpaper change over time? How is the wallpaper representative of the domestic sphere?
Why do you think Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote The Yellow Wallpaper? Historically, the story was based on personal experience (autobiographical)–how effectively does Gilman employ the events of her life to create this work of literature (Links to an external site.)?
How does Charlotte Perkins Gilman reveal character in The Yellow Wallpaper?
Do you care about the characters? Do you like (or dislike) them? How real (or well-developed) do they seem to you?
What are some themes in The Yellow Wallpaper? Symbols? How do they relate to the plot and characters?
What is the central/primary purpose of The Yellow Wallpaper? Is the purpose important or meaningful?
What is the role of women in the text? How are mothers represented? What about single/independent women? What is important about women–in the historical context?
How does the narrator’s relationship with her husband evolve/change? Does her mental state improve or worsen?