How To Write An Outline For The Yellow Wallpaper

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Summary * Two weeks have passed. * The narrator is too weak to do much writing. She complains of suffering and guilt-trips herself for being unable to fulfill her duties. * A woman named Mary is taking care of the narrator’s baby. The narrator says she is nervous around her own son. * John almost gives in and repapers the room, but decides the narrator would then demand all sorts of other changes. * The narrator says she is becoming fonder of the room, except for the horrible wallpaper. * She gives us an overview of the view from her window. * The narrator wishes she could spend time as a writer, but resolves not to think about it. * She opts for describing the wallpaper instead. According to her, it is full of "absurd, unblinking eyes."…show more content…
First Person (Central Narrator) This is a tough perspective when the narrator is slowly sinking into madness. Is there really a woman creeping around outside in the bushes? Probably not. Is there really a woman trapped in the wallpaper? Definitely not. But is the pattern of the wallpaper interesting and confusing? Probably yes. The author’s use of the first person to convey the story allows readers to go along for the ride into madness and cultivates a certain amount of sympathy for the narrator and her plight. The constant use of "I" puts us right in the narrator’s head and allows us to empathize with her. Ironic Indirection If we took the narrator’s words at face value, we would believe that her husband is kind and loving, that she really is physically ill, and that women really do get trapped in wallpaper. All of this is questionable at best and mostly dead wrong. This is part of the fun of first person narration – you’re never quite sure if the narrator’s perceptions actually reflect what’s going on. The narrator's tone also clues us into her character – her uncertainty and hesitation at the start of the story, and her determination towards the

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