Some of you have begun to consider the issue of narrator reliability. Compare narrator reliability in “The Cottagette” and “The Yellow Wall-Paper,” or compare one of these with the reliability of the narrator in “The Story of an Hour.” Include examples by quoting from the text to show what informs your sense of reliability.

In “The Story of an Hour”, according to the narrator, Mrs. Mallard did not know how to deal with her husband’s death at first. She seems confused. First she starts crying hysterically then when she is in her room alone, she starts thinking about beautiful the spring was which clearly indicated that she knew that was a new beginning for her. She was also thinking about how she would have her freedom now that her husband is gone. The narrator wrote “And yet she had loved him-sometimes-often she had not”. This also shows confusion for the reader. I asked myself two questions; Did Mrs. Mallard really love her husband? Why is that she was not clear as to how much of Mrs. Mallard loved her husband? Also in the story Mrs. Mallard often talk to herself. She lacks emotional skills to deal with her situation and this makes the reader question her reliability, just as in the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” where the narrator seemed confused about her emotions and often talked to herself.

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The narratives in each writing by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is specific to the type of text. For example, in “The Cottagette” as well as in “The Yellow Wallpaper” the first person narrative is used to explain to the reader the situation without giving the background, more as it actually happens in the text. Gilman uses this technique in order to unravel the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” by depicting her mental breakdown as it happens. From the beginning the reader can assume she is trustworthy as a narrator, but only after continuing along can the reader see the unreliability of the narrator. However,  in “The Cottagette” we find that Malda is more reliable but fickle in her decisions; regardless she is trustworthy as a narrator. Unlike the short stories, in Women and Economics, Gilman uses the third person narrative in order to explain her theories on “social intercourse” and the relationships between families in the household. Gilman uses words such as She or he to set up situational context to engage the reader of her proposition.This is essential for this type of writing because Gilman must be able to relate and express her opinions on social relationships and gender roles. In Women and Economics, Gilman states boldly “take kitchens out of the home” to make for a “true personal expression”. I believe this relates to “The Cottagette” because Malda is told by her friend Lois that in order to get Ford Mathews to marry her, she must be a homemaker and a cook. Malda then begins to leave behind her love of art to cook more. Later on, Ford Mathews says that he does not need her to do this, and loved seeing her as she was before when she was expressing herself by drawing. Gilman pushes the message that they are equals and that Malda is able to express herself with him, without having to be a homemaker. Malda even states at the conclusion “Was there ever a man like this?”.

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Utopia is an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. Dystopia is an imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. I would describe “The Yellow Wallpaper” as a dystopian story and “The Cottagette” as a utopian story.

I believe the “The Yellow Wallpaper” is as a dystopian narrative because the main parts of the story seem to be very irritating and troublesome. The protagonist in this story was always in a disturbed state of mind. It seemed as if she was never at ease and constantly worried herself about being “sick”. She was always trapped in her own negative world continuously bickering about the littlest things. The setting and environment of this story was always stressful. It also appeared to put a damper on the protagonists relationship with her husband. Therefore, this story would certainly be described as dystopian.

I consider the story “The Cottagette” as a utopian narrative because the protagonist was always joyous about life. Everything appeared to be perfect in their world apart from “The Yellow Wallpaper” which was nothing close to perfect. The environment was always in stunning shape. The cottagette was without a doubt placed in a delightful community; who wouldn’t be happy there? Especially around things and people you seek interest in. The cottagette was a serene and peaceful place to be, almost like a secret getaway- a little too good to be true in my opinion. Malda spoke about having an interest in music and was luckily surrounded by thoughtful musicians. She loved the fact that she was in a neighborhood which had a lot of growing to do and also with people that shared the same passion for music. Hence the reason why I think this story would be considered utopian.

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Choose three quotations that present the married couples relationship – explain what you understand about John as a character and the protagonist as a narrator.

1-“John laughs at me of course , but one expects that in marriage”

This statement helps me understand that John as a character has a lack of respect for his wife. Though the narrator is telling her story she seems to once again he unreliable in this statement. She seems to be bothered by his laughter , but passive at the same time. The narrator is implying that everyone feels that it is to be expected of your husband to laugh at you. She however has no supporting facts.

2-” John is away all day and even some nights when his cases are serious. I am glad my case is not serious, but these nervous troubles are dreadfully depressing”

reading this statement would make you think that her husband leaves her alone I this room all of the time neglecting her condition. the narrator is contradicting herself by stating that she is “glad that her case is not serious” but then stating that her troubles are “depressing”. She is using her own words against herself. I feel she may be compromising the consistency of the plot.

3-“The fact is I am getting a little afraid of John”

john seems a bit controlling as a character. Based on what I read In the Yellow Wallpaper she is not just now becoming afraid , but just beginning to recognize it. Her job as a narrator is to make the reader suspenseful and though fiction , make her story believable. she dies nit make it clear exactly what he is doing that is making her afraid.  I can tell that the narrator wanted John to seem stern and in doing so she made her story less believable.

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Choose three quotations from thenYellow Wallpaper that convince you that the protagonist is an unreliable narrator and explain why for each.

1- ” John is a physician( and perhaps I would not say this to a living soul of course, but this dead paper and a great relief to my mind.)Perhaps that is one reason I don’t get well faster”

I feel that the protagonist is unreliable in this statement because it is not clear the pint that she is trying to make. How can someone of a stable mind feel relief talking to paper? Though she never actually completed her thought she contradicts herself several times. The narrator who is telling this story about herself states that shel was talking to dead paper when in reality she w as talking to herself because the paper was never alive.

2-” I am glad my case is not serious, but these nervous troubles are dreadfully depressing”

The protagonist states her case is not serious and the. In the same breath states her nervous troubles are dreadfully depressing. How can someone who is dreadfully depressed be glad?  This narrator is making it very difficult to believe her story. I feel that she is adding thoughts in places where they don’t belong.

3- ” Sometimes I think it’s a great many women behind , and sometimes only one , and she crawls around fast and her crawling shakes it all over ”

The protagonist is unable to make up her mind whether there is one woman in the wall paper or many. I don’t believe she is portraying herself to be I the right state of mind because it is conflicting to speak about walk paper and to suggest that a woman on the wall paper is crawling to make it shake. Maybe this woman, or these women were only in her imagination. The protagonist is proving to be an unreliable narrator here because she is unable to convince you of one thought without considering another.

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The Yellow Wallpaper

* I dont 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 hanging hangings! But John would not hear of it ”

**”Out of one window I can see the garden , those mysterious deep shaded arbors, the riotous old-fashioned flowers, and bushes and gnarly trees”

***”  I cry at nothing , cry most of the time ”

I personally believe that these three quotes represent the couples relationship. though out the reading i noticed that the wife keeps most of her emotions to herself . In the first quote she expresses her dislike for there room but decides not to tell John. I don’t think that’s the right thing to do in a healthy relationship couples are to speak to each-other abut everything and not hold anything back. I don’t think that there marriage is a healthy relationship.

Now this second quote I believe is very symbolic. She speaks of beautiful flowers, flowers represent love and romance.since she is looking out of a window at the flowers and trees i feel that represent a “need” for love. i noticed throughout the story there were may occasions hen she would bring up her love for nature . i believe that is a symbol for love from her husband.

The last quote is the simplest but with the most meaning. Crying means that your either happy or extremely sad. In this case I believe that she is confused. When she said ” i cry at nothing ” means that she is confused ,and doesn’t know if she is satisfied  with her life and her marriage to her husband.

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