Character map and analysis

The Narrator: 

She is the protagonist character in this story.

Personality: She is a woman of sensitive temperament and who is pretty alienated from her own treatment.  

Family & Problems: She married her husband John, who is a man that makes all her decisions for her and which really irritates her. She feels ill, but her husband does not believe she is sick and whenever she tells John that she feels worse and worse, all he replies is that her body is getting better and better. However, her illness has placed her in a weak position in relation to domineering John. She is a writer, but she is not allow to write. Because of her mental problem she is not allow to do anything, even take care of her own baby, John would not allow her. All she can do is just sit in a room with yellow wallpaper. Finally, because she sits in the room all day long, so she turns herself to the wallpaper. She starts to complain about how ugly, irregular and disgusting the wallpaper was.  

Revealing Quotations:

"And I know John would think it absurd. But I must say what I feel and think in some way - it is such a relief!" (Pg.680)

From this sentence we can tell that the narrator has no freedom in front of her husband and her husband's sister, even at her own house. She is trying to put all her thoughts down onto a piece of paper to show that she wants more freedom.

"I've got out at last," said I, "in spite of you and Jane! And I've pulled of most of the paper, so you can't put me back!" (Pg. 687)

This is the part at the very end. It tell us she is getting sick of her husband, and at last, she decided to run away from her husband. The reason why she pulled of most of the wallpaper is because she thinks that the wallpaper is blocking her way. She wants to get away from John, and his control.

John: 

He is the antagonist in this story. He is a high - ranking physician.

Personality: He is a nice man, but "he has no patience with faith and intense of horror of superstition". (Pg. 677)

Family & Problems: He married with the narrator, a woman who have a mental problems. Knowing she has mental problem, his decisions and opinions occupy most of the text as his wife defers to his wishes. (For example: Friends that she is hanging out, bedroom that she supposed to sleep in.) He thinks that he helps and makes the best for his wife, but his wife is actually sick with his actions. He doesn't believe what his wife has told him, but he believes in himself. He thinks everything he has done is the right thing, and he should keep going on with it.

Revealing Quotations:

"You know the place is doing you good," he said, "and really, dear, I don't care to renovate the house just for a three months' rental" (Pg. 678)

This is what John said after the narrator told him that she feels sick. This sentence shows that John doesn't listen and believe what the narrator have said, and he believes that he makes all the best decisions for her.

"What is it, little girl?" he said. "Don't go walking about like that - you'll get cold." (Pg. 681)

From this sentence, we can tell that John takes much care of her. He doesn't want her to get cold. But he said little girl, which showed us that he does not treat the narrator as his wife, but a little girl. Having a mental problem doesn't means that she is young. It shows that he is putting her beneath him and he also treats his wife as a patient.

Jennie: 

She is John's sister, the supporting character in this story.

Personality: She is the one who happily assumes all the traditional duties of a housewife.

Family & Problems: She is the housekeeper of Jane and John's house. She comes into their house everyday. She is also responsible to takes care of the narrator and her baby. The reason why John has sent Jennie to his house is because the narrator, she has mental problems and she cannot take care of the baby. John tells her to take care of his wife, so she did. She makes the narrator sits in her room all the day long, and there is not allowing to write. She reports everything has happened to John after he comes back to the house. However, John and herself are driving the narrator crazy.

Revealing Quotations:

"There comes John's sister. Such a dear girl as she is, and so careful of me! I must not let her find me writing." (Pg. 679)

This sentence tell us that Jennie is very responsible to her job and she is a listener who always listens to her brother.

"So now she is gone, and the servants are gone, and the things are gone, and there is nothing left but that great bedstead nailed down, with the canvas mattress we found on it. (Pg. 686)

From this sentence we can tell that Jennie does not always listen to her brother, she also listens to the narrator at some points. However, this sentence tells us that Jennie starts to understand  the narrator more.