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Questions and Answers
What does the term ‘physician of high standing’ suggest about John?
What does the term ‘physician of high standing’ suggest about John?
What does the phrase ‘more society and stimulus’ indicate about the wife's thoughts on her condition?
What does the phrase ‘more society and stimulus’ indicate about the wife's thoughts on her condition?
She believes that being around more people could help her feel better.
What does the phrase, 'it makes me so nervous', imply about the wife's feelings towards her baby?
What does the phrase, 'it makes me so nervous', imply about the wife's feelings towards her baby?
What does the wife suggest by saying she is getting ‘really fond of the room in spite of the wallpaper’?
What does the wife suggest by saying she is getting ‘really fond of the room in spite of the wallpaper’?
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What does ‘nobody knows but me’ reveal about the wife’s perception of the wallpaper?
What does ‘nobody knows but me’ reveal about the wife’s perception of the wallpaper?
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What does the phrase ‘it becomes bars’ symbolize?
What does the phrase ‘it becomes bars’ symbolize?
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What significance does locking the door and throwing away the key have?
What significance does locking the door and throwing away the key have?
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What does the wife's desire to jump out of the window signify?
What does the wife's desire to jump out of the window signify?
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What does the wife mean by not wanting to look out the windows because of the creeping women?
What does the wife mean by not wanting to look out the windows because of the creeping women?
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What does the phrase ‘I've got out at last’ imply?
What does the phrase ‘I've got out at last’ imply?
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Study Notes
Quotes on Madness and Hysteria
- A physician, particularly her husband John, dismisses the wife’s condition as mere nervous depression, which leaves her feeling helpless and resigned to her fate.
- The wife's longing for social interaction and external stimulus contrasts with John's belief that thinking about her condition is detrimental, showcasing the conflict in her treatment.
- Anxiety is a recurring theme in her thoughts about not being able to care for her baby, indicating a deep maternal instinct and desire for protection.
- Despite disliking the wallpaper, the wife’s growing affection for the room reflects an internal struggle and a bizarre attachment to her confinement.
- The wife's secret observation of the wallpaper implies a descent into madness, suggesting she feels increasingly isolated and misunderstood.
- As night falls, the wallpaper transforms into prison-like bars, symbolizing her feelings of entrapment and the unsettling presence of the woman she perceives behind it.
- The wife's admission of delight in John's perception of her improvement hints at her awareness of the absurdity of her connection to the wallpaper, revealing the fear of losing her sanity.
- The overwhelming smell of the wallpaper symbolizes her deteriorating mental state and deep-seated desire for escape from her surroundings.
- An imaginary battle with the wallpaper illustrates the wife's crumbling mental health, manifesting as a struggle against her constraints.
- The act of locking the door signifies a radical change in her mindset, marking a turning point toward drastic action in response to her confinement.
- The wife's frustration with her captivity grows, lamenting the strong bars, which represent her feeling trapped, as well as societal expectations regarding her behavior.
- A vivid realization of her identity linked to the creeping women in the wallpaper reveals her recognition that she is both a captor and a captive.
- The declaration of freedom symbolizes a significant shift in power dynamics, as she have confronted her madness and reclaimed her identity, leaving John powerless and confused in her wake.
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Description
Dive into the profound themes of madness and hysteria in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' through carefully selected quotes. This quiz helps you explore the interpretation of insanity and societal expectations as presented in the text, enabling deeper comprehension of its importance and implications.
