The Yellow Wallpaper
Getting to Know the Author:
Knowing background information about an author can often times help us understand the story better because author’s often times, “write what they know.” Read the biography about the author and then do the small assignment below.
Photo:
"Charlotte Perkins Gilman Picture." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2013.
Vocabulary:
Being familiar with the vocabulary in a story in important because if you don’t understand the words in the story then you won’t understand the story itself. Complete the vocabulary assignment below so that you are familiar with the words that will appear in the story.
Directions: Read through ALL the vocab words below so that you are familiar with these words and their definitions. Then pick 10 of the ones that you find the most interesting and write them in a sentence. The sentence must include context clues to what the word means.
Example: The loquacious boy ran down the hall making tons of noise.
absurd -inconsistent with reason or logic or common sense
assure -inform positively and with certainty and confidence
atrocious -shockingly brutal or cruel
betray -deliver to an enemy by treachery
bloat -swelling of the rumen or intestinal tract of domestic animals caused by excessive gas
breadth -the extent of something from side to side
congenial -suitable to your needs
conspicuous -obvious to the eye or mind
contradiction -opposition between two conflicting forces or ideas
cultivate -adapt (a wild plant or unclaimed land) to the environment
debase -corrupt, debase, or make impure by adding a foreign or inferior substance; often by replacing valuable ingredients with inferior ones
defiance -a hostile challenge
delirium -a usually brief state of excitement and mental confusion often accompanied by hallucinations
derision -the act of deriding or treating with contempt
dim -lacking in light; not bright or harsh
dull -so lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness
earnest -characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
endure -undergo or be subjected to
fascinate -to render motionless, as with a fixed stare or by arousing terror or awe
felicity -pleasing and appropriate manner or style (especially manner or style of expression)
fierce -marked by extreme and violent energy
flamboyant -marked by ostentation but often tasteless
florid -elaborately or excessively ornamented
flourish -grow vigorously
foul -highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
frieze -an architectural ornament consisting of a horizontal sculptured band between the architrave and the cornice
gouge -an impression in a surface (as made by a blow)
grotesque -distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal and hideous
headlong -with the head foremost
inanimate -not endowed with life
inexplicable -incapable of being explained or accounted for
infuriate -make furious
interminable -tiresomely long; seemingly without end
loll -be lazy or idle
lurid -horrible in fierceness or savagery
misconstrue -interpret in the wrong way
patent -a document granting an inventor sole rights to an invention
provoke -provide the needed stimulus for
querulous -habitually complaining
ravage -cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly
recurrent -recurring again and again
renovate -restore to a previous or better condition
repellent -serving or tending to repel
restrain -hold back
scoff -laugh at with contempt and derision
skulk -avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill
solely -without any others being included or involved
sprout -produce buds, branches, or germinate
stern -of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
subdue -put down by force or intimidation
subtle -difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
temperament -your usual mood
undulate -move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
unreliable -not worthy of reliance or trust
waddle -walk unsteadily
wallow -roll around, "pigs were wallowing in the mud"
whim -an odd or fanciful or capricious idea
Mini Lesson:
Complete these mini lessons below. These mini lessons will cover the concepts that you will be looking for when reading the story.
Theme: Watch the clip on theme and take notes as to what theme really is and how to analyze it: Clip
Symbolism: Watch the clip on symbolism and take notes as what symbolism really is and how to analyze it: Clip
Reading the story:
Read the story and complete the assignment for the story.
