Tell-Tale Heart and The Yellow Wallpaper Notes

The Tell-Tale Heart

Perspective and Sacrifice

The young man's perspective: Killing the old man is a form of sacrifice necessary to get rid of the eye.
He doesn't hate the old man and would prefer him to survive.
Old man's perspective: Betrayal
Perspective is crucial; understanding the narrator's viewpoint is essential, not to justify actions but to understand them.
Negative sacrifice: A sacrifice perceived as necessary by the individual but not by reality.

Justification and Hubris

People often justify their actions and make excuses for negative behaviors.
The narrator tries to convince the audience of his sanity to justify his actions.
This behavior is rooted in hubris (pride), as he believes he is smarter than others, including the police.
Example: He invites the police into his house and has tea with them, risking exposure.
He could have easily left town and changed his identity without being caught due to the limitations of tracking people at the time.

The Heartbeat and Confession

The narrator hears the heartbeat growing louder, believing the police can hear it too.
He thinks the police are mocking him, trying to drive him insane.
His pride prevents him from breaking, but eventually, he does, leading to confession.
Many criminals, driven by pride, confess when they find a sympathetic listener among the police.

Guilt and Loss

The narrator feels a genuine sense of loss and guilt after killing the old man, even though he tries to rationalize it.
He loved and respected the old man but felt the murder was a necessity.
This guilt, combined with his hubris, drives him to confess.

Themes

Love and Friendship: The story explores a friendship between the old man and the young man that ultimately fails to overcome the young man's fear of the eye.
Fear: The primary motivator for the young man is fear of the eye and its potential manipulation.
Gothic Fiction: Hidden ideas and motivations, as well as deception, are central elements.
Deception: The young man tries to convince the old man that everything is fine, masking his true intentions.

Social connections

Married people tend to live longer due to the social connection they provide.
Even introverted people benefit from social connections, gaining a sense of community and belonging, which contributes to a longer life.

The Yellow Wallpaper

Originating Trope

The story is an Originating trope, meaning it's a story that later invented that trope.

Protofeminist Themes

Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Sylvia Plath were protofeminists, exploring similar themes of women being trapped.
Both authors address the idea of hysteria, a false concept that women are overly emotional and unstable, justifying their oppression.
The "rest cure," involving isolation in a dark room without stimulation, was a common but detrimental treatment for women's depression, worsening their condition.

Autobiographical Elements

The story is semi-autobiographical, drawing from Gilman's experiences with depression and the rest cure.
Gilman, a lesbian in a time when homosexuality was illegal, married twice due to societal pressures and suffered from postpartum depression.
The story reflects her recognition of how the rest cure could be psychologically damaging.

Gilman's Life

After her divorce, Gilman lived happily with her best friend for many years.
She struggled with mental illness throughout her life but lived to see women gain the right to vote, a cause she had long advocated for.
Besides "The Yellow Wallpaper," she is known for her utopian novel "Herland," which depicts a perfect world without men.

Misapprehension and Allegory

The narrator in "The Yellow Wallpaper" is not trying to lie but misapprehends the world due to her mental illness.
The sickening yellow wallpaper with its nonsensical pattern and offensive smell serves as an allegory for the patriarchy and the oppression of women.
The wallpaper's stain symbolizes how involvement with the patriarchy makes one complicit in it.
John's sister is a figure in the oppression because she has been co opted by the patriarchy.
This can also be seen as a common name for imperialism, in the general idea that one group has the power and gets a little bit of power out to others so they can then exert that power again on the next level down.

Setting and Symbolism

The story is set in a lake house, symbolizing isolation and confinement.
The husband, John, a doctor, thinks he is helping his wife but is actually controlling her.
His dismissive behavior and control tactics can be seen as emotional manipulation.
Emotional manipulation is defined as dismissing someone else's emotions as invalid.

Postpartum Depression

The woman is suffering from postpartum depression, a common condition often dismissed or untreated due to societal attitudes.
As her husband is a doctor, he holds all the authority and makes her feel that she must be getting better.
Because of his position, the woman is thrice cursed because he holds more sway.
The story is a betrayal of what the wife actually wanted in terms of help.

Oppression and Infantilization

Patriarchal systems oppress both the oppressed and the oppressor.
The story explores the betrayal of trust within the marriage, as the husband does not listen to his wife.
The wife's happiness, found in writing and visiting friends, is restricted.
The story introduces the concept of infantilization, where someone is treated like a child. This is contrasted by mansplaining, that is characterized by a man explaining something to someone in a patronizing way.
Infantilization can be demeaning and is often directed from men towards women.
She listens to her husband and sacrifices her own well-being to try and make him happy.
It makes people think they will be rewarded if they make some people happy.

Crawling and Freedom

The creeping woman is seen behind the wallpaper, shaking against the bars, trying to escape.
The narrator realizes she must help the woman, representing her own need for freedom.
She starts peeling the wallpaper, driven by a subconscious intent to liberate herself.
The woman is then seen outside the window, creeping in the bushes and shadows, still hiding from society.
The story suggests that this woman is in her own prison, and that she will get caught.

Climax and Symbolism

At the end of the story, the husband faints, and the wife simply crawls over him.
This symbolizes her gaining a small amount of power and overcoming an obstacle in her path, showing that change is possible.

Gender Equality

While some countries like Denmark and Canada rank high on the gender equality index, full equality has not yet been achieved.
Disparities still exist in wages and workplaces, often due to women taking maternity leaves.
Equitability within relationships is crucial, with partners finding a balance that works for them.
There are patriarchal societies across the world that are oppressive to their women where there is a big power dynamic. This happens even if some people claim that "they are protecting their women".