The Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)

 The Yellow Wallpaper, By Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1892)

9/10


I know the author didn’t really intend to anything with this topic, but I couldn’t help but feel that this story was very similar to cosmic horror stories. The slow, slicky descend into madness and the shocking ending totally fit my taste.

During my second read, I came up with an interpretative thought that the ‘ripping away the wallpaper’ and ‘letting the woman out’ is a possible metaphor for giving birth. It seems the main character is mentally obsessed with the concept of birth after actually giving birth to a child. This obsession, combined with the stress originating from her husband’s oppression, might have been expressed in the form of seeing a woman, symbolizing both the newborn baby and herself, who must be freed.

I also focused on the husband character. He doesn’t show any intense form of emotion during the story except the ending, and treats the main character almost like a child. His actions are based on his love and good will, but also on his misperceptions and ignorance. In the end, it all backfired, swallowing his wife in madness

I simply loved the chaotic yet immersing writing of this story. I rated it nine out of ten. (200 words)

댓글

댓글 쓰기

이 블로그의 인기 게시물

"Araby" and stage 4 of the hero's journey

  In the stage four of the hero's journey, the hero of the story meets a mentor who provides the hero with wise advises and various forms of guidance. In this particular story of Araby, it is hard to specify a certain character as a mentor. The lesson is learned at the end of the story, and the hero stumbles into it without any guidance or help from other characters.   Still, the absence of a mentor is not a negative element. Instead, it maximizes the whole point of the story. The lamentable parts of life can be learnt only by experience. No mentor could teach it to us before we face it ourselves.
자세한 내용 보기

The Second Bakery Attack, By Haruki Murakami (1981)

 The Second Bakery Attack, By Haruki Murakami (1981) 9/10 Only after re-reading the story one more time to check whether there are any parts I might have missed, I realized that everything that happened in this story is unbelievably illogical. Waking up in the middle of the night in severe hunger is surely possible, but how in the world did that conclude into robbing a McDonalds and taking thirty bigmacs? It’s amazing how the author was able to make the situation seam logical and smooth. It was quite strange how what the couple did was a crime, but is still so humorous. Something about Haruki’s ways of explaining details such as the sleeping customers and paying for the drink makes even the most intense situations feel comical than serious. It gives the whole story a magical atmosphere. My favorite part of the story was how the narrator explains his feelings like floating on the ocean right above a volcano. It was very wholesome when the narrator decides to let the waves take him w
자세한 내용 보기

A Mother, By James Joyce (1914)

 A Mother, By James Joyce (1914) 7/10 It was interesting to see how Joyce tweaked what might have been a very cliché situation. In most situations where a mother protests about her daughter’s rightful. payment, she would seem brave and righteous. However, Mrs. Kearney seemed like the opposite of righteous. This may be because instead of protesting for her daughter, Mrs. Kearney is fighting for her pride. Unlike most good parents, Mrs. Kearney sees her children only as a tool to improve her social value and keep her pride. It was sad to see Kathleen not standing up to her mother, who might have just ruined her one chance of becoming a professional singer. Four guineas are not worth a lifelong job, let alone a dream coming true. This also reminded me about how big are the influence parents have on their children’s life. My favorite part of the story was how Mrs. Kearny blames Mr. Holohan and others. But the real reason she faced such humiliation was her own stubbornness. I rated th
자세한 내용 보기