First of all, “The Yellow
Wallpaper” is a very ambiguous piece, especially at the end. This is an
important aspect of the story because that forces the reader to decide for
themselves what actually goes on and what the significance of any event is. It
is obvious that the narrator, or Jane as we learn at the end, is driven crazy
by the isolation and brain inactivity that she is forced to follow by her
husband, John. But the significance of this series of unfortunate events is
John is an important character in the story, being who holds Jane back from a
husband and doctor’s standpoint. Although he may do this unintentionally, John
only makes his wife suffer more by keeping her from things she wants to do or
change. He undermines her opinions constantly throughout the story, “I don’t like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the
piazza and had roses over the window, and such pretty old-fashioned chintz
hangings! But John would not hear of it” (Gilman 2). Jane makes it clear from
the start that she does not like the room, but her husband is quick to shoot
down her ideas because he’s a man and he supposedly knows what’s best for her.
From a modern perspective with much more psychological knowledge and medical
technology, it is clear that all the rest cure did for Jane is deteriorate her
mind. Over the course of the story, you see the narrator progressively become
more comfortable with the wallpaper, but that is taken too far and she becomes
obsessed. I think that this would happen with any one though, not just someone
with post-partum depression. Think about being in a room alone without Netflix,
Twitter, your favorite AP literature book, or anything else that could possibly
entertain you, leaving you left to stare at this yellow wallpaper with an intricate
pattern. The loneliness and blankness of the mind would drive any one nuts, and
this is exactly what happened to Jane. Jane began seeing this figure in the
wallpaper once she started to really go crazy, and eventually becomes one with
her by the end of the story. This mysterious woman is thought to be the
narrator because once the wallpaper is nearly all torn off, the narrator states
that she is free to creep forever. However, the author really leaves the ending
up to the reader. Gilman doesn’t suggest any one ending. Jane could have
committed suicide, killed her husband, or just literally creep around that room
forever. This unique ending, I think, is what has intrigued critics and readers
in literature. That is definitely what kept me so interested in the story
throughout the making of my seminar; there truly is not one “right”
interpretation.
Ashlyn's AP Literature Blog
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
Sunday, March 8, 2015
Heart of Lightness
The novel Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad was
written to portray the evil or darkness that can thrive in one’s heart. It is
one of the most influential texts in literature not only because of the message
that can be taken away from it, but also because of the many controversial arguments
it has brought up since it was published in 1899. For example, people have
debated over whether or not Heart of
Darkness should be considered a gothic piece. In my opinion, the ominous
tone of the text created by the imagery of darkness and the frame narrative
structure make the novel Heart of
Darkness be considered a gothic novel. Similarly to the gothic novel Wuthering Heights, Heart of Darkness is a frame narrative. The authors’ use of frame
narratives give personal accounts from the characters of situations. For
example, Marlow in Heart of Darkness gives
his account of his experiences while traveling through the imperialist Congo.
When describing the sights that he comes across at each station, he uses words
that are dark and quite eerie, “Going
up that river was like travelling back to the earliest beginnings of the world,
when vegetation rioted on the earth and the big trees were kings. An empty
stream, a great silence, an impenetrable forest. The air was warm, thick,
heavy, sluggish. There was no joy in the brilliance of sunshine” (Conrad 101).
The author uses imagery to emphasize Marlow’s feelings that yield a metonymy of
gloom and horror. Although Heart of
Darkness does not contain a typical setting or the supernatural events of a
gothic novel, Conrad’s overall syntax creates a feeling of darkness that is
consisted throughout the novel, enabling Heart of Darkness to be considered a
gothic novel.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Boonooroo Ooppoosootioon in Jane Eyre
In Jane
Eyre, binary opposition is dominant, emphasizing the divide between the
characters and the feelings of the characters too. For example, Jane is an
example of a warm and compassionate character. On the other hand, there are
characters such as Mrs. Reed who demonstrates a rather cold personality.
Throughout the novel, fire and ice are used to show contrast between the
characters and also to highlight Jane’s feelings toward certain situations.
Imagery using ice and cold is often used when Jane is feeling loneliness and
discontent. For example, when Jane and Rochester’s wedding is interrupted,
Jane’s feelings are described emphasizing the cold, “A Christmas frost had come at midsummer; a white December storm
had whirled over June; ice glazed the ripe apples, drifts crushed the blowing
roses; on hayfield and cornfield lay a frozen shroud: lanes which last night
blushed full of flowers, to-day were pathless with untrodden snow” (Bronte
260). Jane’s personality is often described as warm and bright, yet her feelings
are often described as quite the antithesis. Charlotte Bronte’s implementation
binary opposition throughout Jane Eyre
creates images for the reader’s interpretation of the text and also stirs up
feelings from the audience. Binary pairs reinforce the feelings of the
characters and emphasize the themes of the novel.
Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Madrid: Gaviota, n.d. Print.
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