Thursday, September 25, 2008

"The Yellow Wallpaper"

Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The Yellow Paper" blew my mind. First off, this lady who I believe her name is Jane had a bad feeling about the house when she first came to the house. The way Jane describes the house as being so beautiful, you would have thought that someone had to either be renting from or at least bought the house. But that wasn't the case. That should have sent up a red flag to Jane and her husband that something is definitely wrong with the house. i personally believe that someone actually died in that house and the spirit of that person runs out everyone that tries to live there. What kinda creep me out was this little obsession that Jane had with the yellow wallpaper that she has in her room. Everyday Jane found herself starring at it and figuring out the patterns. At some point she finds this Shadow lady that only comes at night. They both end up ripping the wall paper off the wall. But the next day the spirit possess Jane's body because she says to Jane's husband "I've got out at last, said I. In spite of you and Jane. And I've pulled off most of the wall paper, so you can't put me back!" Definitely possess. Because she was so curious about the yellow wallpaper, the spirit possess her. As the saying goes "curiosity kills the cat".

"Story Of An Hour"

Kate Chopin's "Story Of An Hour" was like an emotional roller coaster. Mrs Mallard had to be broken down gently that her husband died. She did the usual crying and weeping. That is expected with any ones love one dies. What threw me off a little is the way the author describes the room when Mrs Mallard walk in. She didn't describe it like death which is usually the way authors would write after someone has died in the book. The Aurthur describes Mrs Mallard as seeing "the open squares before her house, the top of trees that were all aquiver with the new spring life. The delicious breath rain was in the air". this does not sound like a person who husband just died. this quote sounds like Mrs Mallard finally sees herself starting fresh. This feeling scared her so much that she tried to hold theses feelings back. But she couldn't help but say "free, free, free!" I do believe that Mrs Mallard did love her husband. She just wasn't in love with him and yes there is a big difference. It does seems odd that Mrs Mallard feels the way she feels. But if you think about it you would know where shes coming from. In those days, divorce was forbidden. So if your marriage has problems, its either you work it out or you don't. Divorce is definitely not an option. In Mrs Mallards case, she was a housewife who had to cook, clean and wash clothes 24/7. After a while it gets tiring, lonely, even frustrating. Eventually you would become unhappy and miserable. I'm not saying that Mrs. Mallard wasn't sad that her husband died but i think she was just a little more happy. She is just more happy that she is able to live and do for herself. when she saw her husband walk through the door, she died instantly. When the doctor came, they said she died of heart disease - of joy that kills. What I Don't understand is that what did Mrs Mallard died from? Was It from shock? or was it from disappointment because the chance to taste life was taken away from her?