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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
(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”.