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Quizzes > Literature & Language > Books & Literature

Test Your Skills with The Yellow Wallpaper Quiz

Dive into thought-provoking questions on The Yellow Wallpaper

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
paper art illustration of yellow wallpaper design with The Yellow Wallpaper quiz text on dark blue background

This quiz on The Yellow Wallpaper helps you review the plot, narrator's journal, setting, and key symbols in Gilman's story. Use it to spot gaps before class or a test, or just have fun; if you want a quick warm-up, try some literature trivia first.

Who narrates the story "The Yellow Wallpaper"?
An unnamed woman
Her friend Jennie
Her husband John
Her doctor
The narrative is presented through the unnamed narrator's diary entries, giving readers direct insight into her mental state. She remains unnamed to emphasize her lack of identity and agency under patriarchal authority. This first-person perspective helps illustrate her descent into psychosis. .
What is the main setting of the story?
A colonial mansion's nursery
A city hotel suite
A coastal lighthouse
A suburban townhouse
The narrator and her husband rent a colonial mansion for the summer, and she spends much of her time confined to the upstairs nursery. The room's barred windows and the unsettling wallpaper shape her experience. This isolated setting intensifies her mental distress. .
What treatment does John prescribe for the narrator?
Electroshock therapy
The rest cure
Physical therapy
Hypnosis
John, a physician, prescribes the rest cure, a common nineteenth-century treatment for women's nervous conditions. Patients were forbidden to work, write, or engage in stimulating activity. This enforced inactivity contributes to the narrator's obsession with the wallpaper. .
What is John's profession?
Lawyer
Physician
Writer
Professor
John is a physician who diagnoses his wife's condition as a temporary nervous depression. He believes strict rest and isolation will help her recover. His medical authority overrides her own observations about her mental health. .
What activity does the narrator secretly continue despite her prescribed rest?
Writing in her journal
Reading novels
Painting in watercolors
Sketching landscapes
Despite John's orders, the narrator journals her thoughts in secret to preserve her sanity. This act of writing becomes a form of self-expression and resistance. It also highlights the theme of repression versus autonomy. .
How is the wallpaper's pattern first described by the narrator?
Serene and symmetrical
Faded and barely visible
Unpleasant and confusing
Bold and colorful
The narrator finds the wallpaper's pattern disturbing, describing it as chaotic and unsettling. She notes that it moves and changes, reflecting her growing obsession. This early description sets the stage for the story's rising tension. .
What color is the wallpaper that drives the narrator to obsession?
Yellow
Red
Green
Blue
The yellow color of the wallpaper is central to the story's title and imagery. The narrator describes it as a "repellent, almost revolting" shade that aggravates her mental state. This color choice heightens the sense of decay and madness. .
Who assists John in maintaining the house and caring for the narrator?
Anna
Jennie
Sarah
Mary
Jennie, John's sister, helps run the household and watches after the narrator. She represents the domestic caretaker role expected of women at the time. Jennie's practical approach contrasts with the narrator's emotional needs. .
What is the narrator's relation to Jennie?
Nurse
Friend
Cousin
Sister-in-law
Jennie is John's sister, making her the narrator's sister-in-law. She represents the socially acceptable, supportive female role of the time. The contrast between Jennie's health and the narrator's decline underscores social expectations for women. .
What does the woman behind the wallpaper symbolize?
John's medical authority
A ghost haunting the house
Jennie's conscience
The narrator's repressed self
The creeping woman in the wallpaper represents the narrator's own trapped identity and suppressed desires. As she peels away at the paper, she tries to free that part of herself. This symbolizes the struggle against patriarchal confinement. .
During which time of day does the narrator's obsession with the wallpaper peak?
Morning
Nighttime
Dawn
Afternoon
The narrator's fixation intensifies at night when shadows and limited light make the pattern appear to move. This nocturnal focus heightens the story's suspense and her growing paranoia. Sleep deprivation further erodes her sanity. .
Which narrative technique is used in the story?
Stream-of-consciousness
Dramatic dialogue
First-person unreliable narration
Omniscient third-person
The story is told through the first-person journal entries of the narrator, who offers a subjective - and ultimately unreliable - account of events. This perspective allows readers to experience her mental decline firsthand. Unreliable narration amplifies the psychological tension. .
Who enforces the rest cure on the narrator?
The landlady
Jennie
Dr. Weir Mitchell
John
John, the narrator's husband and physician, strictly applies the rest cure, forbidding her any intellectual activity. His authority prevents her from pursuing writing or social interaction. This dynamic underscores the power imbalance in their marriage. .
How does the narrator attempt to get closer to the wallpaper pattern?
By peeling off the paper
By washing it with soap
By painting over it
By covering it with fabric
Desperate to reveal the hidden woman, the narrator tears and peels at the wallpaper, believing this will free the trapped figure. Her physical interaction with the paper mirrors her psychological breakdown. This act becomes the climax of her rebellion. .
Which societal issue does the story critique?
Oppression of women's mental health
Industrial exploitation
Racial segregation
Economic inequality
Gilman critiques the way nineteenth-century medicine and society dismissed women's emotional well-being. The rest cure, enforced by male authority, exacerbates the narrator's condition. The story highlights the importance of agency in mental health treatment. .
What does the narrator see the wallpaper doing?
Growing and moving like a living thing
Turning into a mirror
Changing color every hour
Fading into the wall
The narrator describes the pattern as undulating and alive, with shifting shapes that seem to creep about. This imagery reflects her projection of her own restlessness onto the wallpaper. The sense of movement intensifies her obsession. .
How does John's attitude contribute to the narrator's decline?
He invalidates her feelings
He seeks outside help
He isolates her from the wallpaper
He encourages her creativity
John's dismissive attitude toward the narrator's concerns reinforces her isolation and powerlessness. By minimizing her experiences, he deepens her sense of entrapment. His condescension accelerates her mental breakdown. .
By the end of the story, how does the narrator perceive herself in relation to the wallpaper?
She thinks she's still recovering
She believes she has cured herself
She identifies completely with the trapped woman
She sees herself as the house owner
At the climax, the narrator declares that she has finally freed the woman in the wallpaper, indicating that she sees herself as that figure. This moment blurs the lines between reality and delusion. Her identification signifies total psychological surrender. .
How does the architecture of the room reflect the narrator's mental imprisonment?
High ceilings evoke freedom
Open floor plan encourages movement
Bright windows allow healing light
Barred windows and rings suggest confinement
The room's barred windows, heavy bed nailed to the floor, and rings in the walls all evoke a prison-like atmosphere. These physical barriers mirror the narrator's emotional and intellectual constraints imposed by her husband. The setting underscores the theme of entrapment. .
What deeper meaning does the creeping figure in the wallpaper hold?
A literal ghost of a past owner
John's hallucination about his wife
The housemaid hiding a secret
A symbol of resistance against subjugation
The figure represents the narrator's suppressed self struggling to break free from patriarchal oppression. Her creeping movements mirror the narrator's own desire for autonomy. This symbolism aligns with early feminist themes. .
The title emphasizes which central theme of the story?
The power of color symbolism
The role of environment in mental health
The strength of the narrator's voice
The authority of marriage
The yellow wallpaper itself becomes a catalyst for the narrator's psychological turmoil, showing how environment can influence mental health. The pattern and color evoke fear and obsession. The title points readers to this crucial connection. .
In what year was "The Yellow Wallpaper" first published?
1892
1886
1901
1912
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's seminal story was first published in 1892 in The New England Magazine. This early publication helped spark conversations about women's health and autonomy. Later reprints cemented its place in feminist literary history. .
The narrator's secret journal primarily serves as:
Evidence of her deteriorating sanity
A form of autonomy and self-expression
A requirement set by John
A social diary for Jennie
By writing privately, the narrator reclaims a measure of control over her life. Her journal becomes an act of defiance against John's oppressive prescription. It underscores the importance of voice and agency in the story. .
Which vivid phrase does the narrator use to describe the wallpaper pattern?
Fading watercolor strokes
Geometric tessellations
A broken neck and bulbous eyes
Delicate lace-like vines
The narrator notes the pattern's grotesque shapes, likening them to a broken neck and bulbous eyes. This unsettling image intensifies the horror of the wallpaper. It also mirrors her fractured mental state. .
How does the house's isolation affect the narrator?
It invites frequent social visits
It increases her loneliness and fixation
It accelerates her recovery
It provides distractions to calm her
Cut off from society, the narrator turns inward and obsesses over the wallpaper. The lack of mental stimulation and companionship exacerbates her depression. Isolation is a key factor in her psychological decline. .
Which critical approach is most commonly applied to this story?
New Historicism
Postcolonial criticism
Feminist criticism
Marxist criticism
Critics frequently analyze the story through a feminist lens, focusing on gender roles and medical paternalism. The narrator's struggle against patriarchal control is central to feminist interpretations. This approach reveals the story's critique of society's treatment of women. .
What does the climactic act of tearing down the wallpaper represent?
Breaking free from patriarchal constraints
An attempt to redecorate
Destroying a family heirloom
A sign of complete recovery
By stripping the wallpaper, the narrator symbolically frees herself - and the woman she sees - from confinement. This defiant act marks both her psychological collapse and her rejection of controlling authority. It embodies the story's feminist message. .
Which later modernist writer acknowledged influence from "The Yellow Wallpaper"?
T.S. Eliot
James Joyce
Virginia Woolf
Ernest Hemingway
Virginia Woolf praised Gilman's story for its psychological depth and feminist insight. Woolf's own work often explores themes of women's interior lives and societal constraints. The influence is evident in her narratives about gender and creativity. .
The story is often compared to which earlier play for its themes of female oppression?
Strindberg's "Miss Julie"
Oscar Wilde's "Lady Windermere's Fan"
Shaw's "Mrs. Warren's Profession"
Ibsen's "A Doll's House"
Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House" depicts Nora's struggle against patriarchal constraints, similar to the narrator's plight in Gilman's story. Both works critique societal norms that trap women in submissive roles. Their endings symbolize a break from oppression. .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Narrative Structure -

    Identify the story's key events, setting, and narrative progression to build a solid foundation for answering the yellow wallpaper questions.

  2. Analyze Symbolism and Imagery -

    Examine the wallpaper's patterns and motifs to uncover deeper meanings and sharpen your interpretation of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's symbolic elements.

  3. Evaluate Character Motivations -

    Assess the behavior and decisions of the narrator and other characters to understand psychological and societal influences on their actions.

  4. Interpret Central Themes -

    Explore major themes such as patriarchy, mental health, and autonomy to articulate how they drive the narrative's emotional impact.

  5. Apply Analytical Strategies -

    Use targeted approaches to tackle questions on the yellow wallpaper, improving your ability to support answers with textual evidence.

  6. Critique and Synthesize Perspectives -

    Compare various scholarly interpretations and themes to develop a nuanced understanding of the story's broader implications.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Symbolism of the Wallpaper -

    The intricate yellow pattern personifies the narrator's psychological entrapment, a point extensively discussed in university literary journals. Notice how the jarring color and maze-like design become metaphors for her deteriorating mind; use the mnemonic "YELLOW = Yearning, Lockdown, Entrapment, Walls, Oppression, Woven" to recall each layer of meaning.

  2. Narrative Reliability -

    As you answer questions on the yellow wallpaper, evaluate the narrator's honesty by comparing her initial calm entries to her final exclamations like "I've got out at last," a discrepancy highlighted by scholars on JSTOR. Charting these shifts helps you gauge credibility and spot contradictions signaling an unreliable perspective.

  3. Feminist and Patriarchal Critique -

    Gilman's story critiques 19th-century medical and marital control, a theme emphasized in articles from the Women's Studies Quarterly. When tackling the yellow wallpaper analysis questions, consider her own "rest cure" experience and how male authority figures symbolize broader societal oppression.

  4. Themes of Confinement vs. Liberation -

    The threshold between the narrator's physical imprisonment in the room and her eventual psychological escape is a focal point in academic discussions at the Harvard Archive. Use the phrase "bars = mental scars" to link the barred windows with enduring emotional trauma and eventual liberation.

  5. Imagery's Role in Psychological Descent -

    Gilman's vivid descriptions - shifting from benign paper to a "smoldering unclean yellow" - mirror the narrator's unraveling, as noted by experts at Oxford University Press. Track this progressive decay with the acronym "DESCENT" (Details, Emotions, Symbolism, Emphasis, Narrative, Tone) to structure your analysis.

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