The Yellow Wallpaper By Mathew Goldstein and Richie Johnson

Quote 1 “I’ve got at last, said I, “in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!” Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every time! can’t put me backthat man creep over himcan’t put me backthat man creep over him “I’ve got at last, said I, “in spite of you and Jane. And I’ve pulled off most of the paper, so you can’t put me back!” Now why should that man have fainted? But he did, and right across my path by the wall, so that I had to creep over him every time! can’t put me backthat man creep over himcan’t put me backthat man creep over him

That Man As one can see the main character in this story is referring to her husband as that man and not as her husband or John. This shows her complete insanity due to the months of looking at this yellow wallpaper. BACK

Can’t Put Me Back Our man character says that they will not be able to put her back into the paper because it is destroyed. This symbolizes women’s rights and how they destroyed the barrier that once existed between them and men, so men can not put them back into the less important role in society due to their abundance of rights they have acquired. BACK

Creep Over Him By the end of the story it came to the readers attention that the main character was walking around the room rubbing her shoulder against the wall. Now that her husband has fainted a new obstacle has entered for her to walk around. This also shows her insanity and also how she now does not care for her husband at all. BACK

Quote 2 …for really I wasn’t alone a bit! As soon as it was moonlight and that poor thing began to crawl and shake the pattern, I got up and ran to help her.alone a bit help her …for really I wasn’t alone a bit! As soon as it was moonlight and that poor thing began to crawl and shake the pattern, I got up and ran to help her.alone a bit help her

Alone A Bit This shows that the woman thinks that there is someone else in the room with her. She believes that there is a woman inside of the yellow wallpaper. This is just one of the very many signs that show her starting to go insane. BACK

Help Her The woman believes that it is her duty to let this girl out. Everyday she tries harder and harder to tear off this wallpaper and try let loose the woman she believes is inside this wallpaper. At the end of the story you find out that the woman inside the wallpaper was really the woman who was trying to get her out. Her being stuck inside the wallpaper symbolizes her as a woman being stuck behind the constraints that society has made for women. BACK

Quote 3 I tried to lift and push it until I was lame, and then I got so angry I bit off a little piece at one corner -- but it hurt my teeth. Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it! All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths just shriek with derision!bit off a little piece I could reach derision I tried to lift and push it until I was lame, and then I got so angry I bit off a little piece at one corner -- but it hurt my teeth. Then I peeled off all the paper I could reach standing on the floor. It sticks horribly and the pattern just enjoys it! All those strangled heads and bulbous eyes and waddling fungus growths just shriek with derision!bit off a little piece I could reach derision

Bit Off A Little Piece In frustration the main character bit off a piece of the bed. Earlier in the story the bed was described as bolted to the ground and gnawed at. This action explains why the bed was gnawed at and it shows that other women who were banished to this room have gnawed at the bed as well. BACK

I Could Reach In the beginning of the story the room’s wallpaper was ripped and torn about as high as our main character could reach. This shows that all the women prior to her have also ripped off the wallpaper. BACK

Derision The women says that as she pulls off the paper the wall is yelling at her and mocking her. This can be a connected to the behavior of men as women fought for their rights. As they were making progress in their fight, just like the women in the story, the men mock them and tell them they can not do it. BACK