Early Stream of Consciousness and Feminism in Fiction — Quiz
Question 9 • Language Arts 11
Read the excerpt from "The Yellow Wallpaper." At first he meant to repaper the room, but afterwards he said that I was letting it get the better of me, and that nothing was worse for a nervous patient than to give way to such fancies. Which gothic element in this excerpt reflects a social attitude of Gilman’s time?
Answer
A
John views his wife’s concerns as unimportant and silly.
B
The narrator feels an inevitable sense of doom.
C
John appears to be a supernatural being.
D
The qualities of the wallpaper create a sense of mystery.
Explanation
John dismisses his wife’s concerns as “fancies” and suggests she is letting them get the better of her. This reflects the social attitude of Gilman’s time that women’s feelings and judgments—especially about their own health—could be treated as silly or unimportant. The wallpaper’s mystery is a Gothic feature, but it does not show that social attitude as directly.
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