Activity Overview
While the narrator arrives at the summer house already suffering from symptoms of mental illness, her descent into madness is traced in her diary. Use the activity for Character Evolution with your students to help them keep track of how the narrator evolves throughout the course of the story.
Exposition
Narrator's Traits: A woman; recently gave birth; married to a physician; suffering from “temporary nervous depression”
Explanation:The narrator’s husband has rented the colonial mansion as a summer house so that his wife can rest, get exercise, and not work until her condition improves. The narrator thinks sometimes that less isolation would help her feel better, but her husband won’t hear of it. She writes her feelings in secret.
Conflict/Rising Action
Narrator's Traits: Unreasonably angry; lacking control of emotions; lacks strength; feels like a burden
Explanation: The narrator feels like a burden because her husband John believes that there is no reason for why she should feel so ill or nervous. She cannot bear to be around her new baby, and is becoming increasingly perturbed by the yellow wallpaper in their bedroom.
Climax
Narrator's Traits: Feigns sleep; feels afraid of John; becoming increasingly paranoid
Explanation: The narrator studies the yellow wallpaper daily, and is convinced that there is a woman living behind it. John is gone a lot, but when he is home, he seems to be studying both her and the wallpaper, which is aggravating and frightening to the narrator. She sees Jennie staring at the paper, too, and she is determined to not let anyone but herself figure out the secrets of the pattern.
Falling Action
Narrator's Traits: Excited; eating better; shows improvement; sleeps during the day; stays up at night
Explanation: The narrator is fascinated by the developments in the wallpaper, and it gives her something to look forward to each day. She has renewed energy as she believes she is coming closer to discovering the secrets of the wallpaper, and the freeing of the woman behind it.
Resolution
Narrator's Traits: Energized; manic; angry; victorious
Explanation: The narrator’s descent into madness is complete as she tears off the wallpaper, and she believes that she is now the woman whom she has freed from behind it. She creeps around the room and right over her husband’s body, who has fainted, and she feels delighted at being able to move about the room in the yellow colors.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows the evolution of the narrator throughout the course of “The Yellow Wallpaper”.
- Use the Character Evolution Template to get started.
- Break the story down into Exposition, Conflict/Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, and Resolution. What traits does the narrator have?
- Illustrate one or more of the traits for each stage of the story.
- Identify major events in each part of the story that affected the narrator.
Lesson Plan Reference
- [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/1] Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
- [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/3] Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme
- [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/4] Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone)
- [ELA-Literacy/RL/9-10/5] Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient 33 Points | Emerging 27 Points | Beginning 22 Points | Try Again 17 Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character Evolution Traits and Analysis | The character traits and evolution are identified correctly at each of the five plot points. The analysis of the traits at each plot point clearly shows the link between the events that happen in the story and their impact on the character. The analysis reveals insight and understanding of the character's journey and the work as a whole. | Most of the character traits and evolution are identified correctly at each of the five plot points. The analysis of the traits at each plot point shows the link between the events that happen in the story and their impact on the character, although some of the analyses might be unclear or inaccurate. The analysis reveals understanding of the character's journey and the work as a whole. | Some of the character traits and evolution are identified correctly at each of the five plot points. The analysis of the traits at each plot point attempts to establish a link between the events that happen in the story and their impact on the character, but some of the analyses may be inaccurate, unclear, or minimal. There is an attempt to reveal insight and understanding of the character's journey and the work as a whole. | Most of the character traits and evolution are identified incorrectly, are missing, or are too limited to score. There is minimal or no analysis to establish a link between the events that happen in the story and their impact on the character, and there may be no attempt to reveal insight and understanding of the character's journey and the work as a whole. |
| Artistic Depictions | The art chosen to depict the scenes are historically appropriate to the work of literature. It is evident that the student spent a lot of time, creativity, and effort into carefully crafting each artistic depiction. | The art chosen to depict the scenes should be historically appropriate, but there may be some liberties taken that distract from the assignment. It is evident that the student stayed on task and put time and effort into crafting each artistic depiction. | Most of the art chosen to depict the scenes are historically appropriate, but there are serious deviations that cause confusion or inaccuracies. The student may not have paid much attention to detail in crafting each depiction, and there may be evidence of rushing or limited effort. | Most of the art chosen to depict the scenes are historically inappropriate, missing, or too limited to score. It is evident that the student did not put a lot of time, effort, and creativity into crafting each artistic depiction. |
| English Conventions | Ideas are organized. Displays control of grammar, usage, and mechanics. Shows careful proofreading. | Ideas and quotes are organized. Contains few errors in grammar, usage and mechanics. Shows some proofreading. | Ideas and quotes are organized. Contains errors in grammar, usage and mechanics which interfere with communication. Shows a lack of proofreading. | Contains too many errors in grammar, usage and mechanics; (and/or) errors seriously interfere with communication. Shows a lack of proofreading. |
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