The Yellow Wallpaper & Yin Yang

Hello everyone!

This is my first post. I liked this forum alot before as a vistor and of course I'll like it more as a member.

I'm trying to analyze The Yellow Wallpaper. I have some questions on it.

What is the significance of the key, which is thrown by the narrator through the window, being covered by the plantain leaf?

another question

Is there any relationship between this story and Yin Yang? I assume this beacuse there is this mentioning of night and morning. I mean how would I analyze it through Yin Yang concept if it has any relationship.

thanx

I don't understand why there's "moved" before the title of my post.

Oh ok I got it.

Sorry for the rush.

I hope you help me to answer my questions because they aNNOY ME!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grammar

Hello everyone!

This is my first post. I liked this forum alot before as a vistor and of course I'll like it more as a member.

I'm trying to analyze The Yellow Wallpaper. I have some questions on it.

What is the significance of the key, which is thrown by the narrator through the window, being covered by the plantain leaf?

another question

Is there any relationship between this story and Yin Yang? I assume this beacuse there is this mentioning of night and morning. I mean how would I analyze it through Yin Yang concept if it has any relationship.

thanx

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A couple hints:
What do keys do???

Regarding the yin-yang, consider male & female.

Keep us posted...

I mean that Why is the key of the narrator bedroom under the plantain leaf? in other words: Why did the authot choose "the plantain leaf" to cover the key when it is thrown by the narrator through the window?

I know that yin-yang for male and female but how is it relevent to the yellow wallpaper? Maybe you assume that I know how to analyze it if I know that yin-yang means male-female but actually i don't. I need help. I feel it is related but I can't find out how to interpret it according to the Yin Yang.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grammar

I mean that Why is the key of the narrator bedroom under the plantain leaf? in other words: Why did the authot choose "the plantain leaf" to cover the key when it is thrown by the narrator through the window?

I know that yin-yang for male and female but how is it relevent to the yellow wallpaper? Maybe you assume that I know how to analyze it if I know that yin-yang means male-female but actually i don't. I need help. I feel it is related but I can't find out how to interpret it according to the Yin Yang.

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Okay,

Personally, I don't think it really matters that they key was thrown under the plantain leaf. Could it have been a fern and still have the same effect? I think the key (no pun intended) is that Jane purposefully threw the key out so someone could get it, yet covered it to make it hard. In sum, I think the point is that she did make it possible although difficult for someone to unlock her door. BUT if you really wanted to get super symbolic, I guess you could look at what a plantain leaf is. The fruit, plantain? As in, similar to a banana? As in, could be penis like? As in, the thing that sets her free is under (or opressed???) by a penis (i.e. male)?

The whole yin-yang thing means that we need opposites to make a whole, right? So you need the male and female dynamic to balance out the world?? Night and morning do work to illustrate this yin-yang. Remember, Jane feels most free at night, and most oppressed during the day. There is also the male (husband) and female (wife, Jane) dynamic no matter how dysfunctional and unsatisfying the relationship may be.

Good luck!

thanks genoveva but I'm afraid to say that i am not satisfied with the explanation of the plantain leaf. Can we add the significance of the color of the banana which is similar to the wallpaper?

Grammar,

Can we hear your analysis?

Actually, there is nothing I will add. It's only that Gilman chose the plantain leaf because of the color of the banana. What really annoys me is that: is there any relevence for the leaf to be giant? Maybe I am studying it too hard!! I think you have noticed that I am just a "beginner" in analysing stories. It's just that I need some guide.
Thanx for the help

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grammar

Actually, there is nothing I will add. It's only that Gilman chose the plantain leaf because of the color of the banana. What really annoys me is that: is there any relevence for the leaf to be giant? Maybe I am studying it too hard!! I think you have noticed that I am just a "beginner" in analysing stories. It's just that I need some guide.
Thanx for the help

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giant leaf= able to hide little key
banana=yellow; wallpaper=yellow

Here on lit net we all share info and I feel like I have contributed a lot of insightful comments. It would be nice if you shared some too. I must say that your comments seem abrupt and not too friendly.

Sorry, I didn't mean to be so abrupt.
All what I see genoveva is that the plantain leaf is chosen carefully by Gilman. It has the fruit banana which is yellow. So, it refers to the wallpaper. I just need to know if it has any other significance and thankfully you give me the meaning of penis. I wanted to know if there is any other significance. The key of course is the solution to the problem because John didn't find that key until he listened to his wife. If he had listened before, he woud find the solution to the sickness of his wife. She would be cured if he listend to her about moving from this place. But her nerve cure is out of order at the end. The only time he listened to her is at the end. Instead of ignoring her words at the end and break that door with an axe, he listened to her and check for the key. Of course, he found it. The signifance of this part is that the solution was with her hand from the beginning but he didn't find it because he didn't listen to her. That's all. I hope this will be helpful.
Actually, genoveva I appreciate your help. You are the only one who answered my questions in this thread.

Well for me, I've always thought the color yellow to be a "sickly" color. Therefore you could connect this with the color of the wallpaper and the banana. The narrator/writer hates the yellow wallpaper as it makes her sick, and if you want to add the significance of the banana's color, you could also say that the banana (and its penis-like reference) could also mean that the narrator/writer is sick of the oppression that's victimizing her.

In reading this thread, I'm interested and struck by a strange development...Here's Grammar, abrupt yes, but without any malice or arrogance. Just someone asking for help.

Genoveva, you might want to consider your very first response to Grammar was condescending and slightly sarcastic. At least Grammar is open to comments without judgement. Peace can be a great thing...but it starts with each person....

I see the key under the plantain leaf as a more feminine action. The leaf being symbolic for a woman hiding her true feelings from men. Nature is feminine. The key is masculine as it enters the lock (feminine). She was not direct with her husband (as he was not direct in seeing what she needed).

Hello,

My name is Theodor and i've just become a member of the forum.
As i was trying to get some help with the story "the yellow wall paper" i bumped on the forum. I was trying to find a good answer/explanation for the following question:

What is the significance of the title (the yellow wall paper)?

I would be very greatful if you could help me.

Hi Theodor,

I think there's a good argument to be made that the wallpaper is almost another character in itself. Check out this site; it talks a little bit about the title, but I think you should also check out the "symbols" section:

http://www.shmoop.com/literary-devic...the-title.html