Question

Read the excerpt from "The Yellow Wallpaper." I don’t like our room a bit. I wanted one downstairs that opened on the piazza and had roses all over the window, and such pretty old-fashioned chintz hangings! but John would not hear of it. He said there was only one window and not room for two beds, and no near room for him if he took another. He is very careful and loving, and hardly lets me stir without special direction. Which statement describes a gothic element in this excerpt that reflects a social attitude of Gilman’s time? John makes decisions on his wife’s behalf, which illustrates that she is not in control of her own fate. John’s words to his wife indicate that he is a strange and mysterious character who may have other motives. The narrator’s description of the nearly windowless room contributes to the sense of longing and fear. The narrator’s description of the rooms that open to the piazza contributes to the sense of mystery and suspense.

Answer 1

The gothic element that reflects the social attitudes of Gilman's time is John's control over his wife, showing her lack of autonomy, which was common in the patriarchal society of the late 1800s. This is evident in his decisions about their living space and her daily activities. John's behavior symbolizes the broader social oppression of women during this era.

Step-by-step explanation:

The gothic element in the excerpt from The Yellow Wallpaper that reflects a social attitude of Gilman’s time is John making decisions on his wife's behalf, illustrating her lack of control over her own fate. This aspect of the story highlights the patriarchal society during the late 1800s, where women were often denied autonomy and forced into submission within their marriages. John's assertive choice of the room, as well as his controlling actions, reflect the broader societal belief that women were not capable of making their own decisions or managing their own lives.

The oppressive nature of the protagonist's husband, John, acts as a symbol for the larger oppression of women in society during Gilman's time. By denying his wife the room she desires, enforcing a strict daily schedule on her, and minimizing her feelings, John embodies the dismissive and controlling attitude that society often held towards women's autonomy and mental health. These attitudes are further emphasized by his description as 'very careful and loving', a veneer of concern that thinly masks the underlying control and dominance he has over the narrator's life.

The gloss of domesticity given by phrases like 'I have a schedule prescription for each hour in the day; he takes all care from me' illustrates how societal roles for women were suffocatingly prescribed and limiting, and how this 'care' often led to a diminishment of women's mental and emotional well-being.

Answer 2

The gothic element from "The Yellow Wallpaper" that reflects a social attitude of the time is the control John has over his wife, showing she lacks autonomy. This underscores the societal repression of women during the period and is represented in the statement that John makes decisions on the narrator's behalf. The correct answer is option: John makes decisions on his wife’s behalf, which illustrates that she is not in control of her own fate.

Step-by-step explanation:

The gothic element in the excerpt from "The Yellow Wallpaper" that reflects a social attitude of Gilman's time is the lack of control the protagonist, a woman, has over her own life and decisions. This is evident when her husband, John, dismisses her preferences for their room and asserts his choices instead. The statement that best describes this gothic element and reflects the social attitude of the time is: John makes decisions on his wife’s behalf, which illustrates that she is not in control of her own fate.

The assertion of male dominance and the suppression of women's autonomy was common during the period in which Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote. By invalidating the narrator's desires in favor of his own, John symbolizes the broader societal constraints faced by women.

Moreover, John's paternalistic treatment suggests love and care but actually undermines her freedom and well-being, a critique Gilman wove throughout her story to illustrate the harmful effects of such societal norms on women's mental health.