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.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows the evolution of the narrator throughout the course of “The Yellow Wallpaper”.
Encourage students to deepen their understanding by writing a first-person journal entry from the narrator's perspective at a key moment in the story. This helps students empathize with her evolution and connect emotionally to the text.
Guide students to pick a moment where the narrator's thoughts or feelings dramatically change, such as when she first notices the wallpaper pattern. This approach focuses reflection and makes analysis more meaningful.
Ask students to include at least one direct quote or paraphrase from the story in their journal entry. This builds close reading skills and supports thoughtful interpretation.
Remind students to describe the narrator’s emotions honestly and vividly. This practice helps them develop empathy and strengthens their descriptive writing abilities.
Invite students to read their journal entries aloud in small groups. Sharing perspectives fosters discussion, allowing students to see how others interpret the narrator’s evolution.
Character evolution in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' refers to the narrator's gradual transformation as her mental state deteriorates, moving from mild depression to complete madness as described through her diary entries.
The narrator evolves from a woman suffering mild nervous depression to someone experiencing paranoia, obsession, and finally, a complete psychological break, symbolized by her identification with the woman she believes is trapped in the wallpaper.
Students can identify five key stages: Exposition (introduction of her condition), Conflict/Rising Action (growing distress), Climax (paranoia peaks), Falling Action (obsession intensifies), and Resolution (complete breakdown and perceived liberation).
Use a character evolution storyboard or template to have students track the narrator's changing traits and major events. Encourage illustration and discussion of how each story phase affects her mental state.
Key traits include isolation and depression (Exposition), anger and anxiety (Rising Action), paranoia (Climax), obsession and excitement (Falling Action), and mania and liberation (Resolution).