Abstract

Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a well-known feminist writer who dedicates to advocating female rights. The Yellow Wallpaper, originally published in 1892, is her representative short story which manifests itself as a classic feminist works. The story is well received for its gothic horror, meaningful metaphor and feminism theme. Much of the success of the story attributes to the skillful narration. The thesis aims to find out the role first person narration plays in revealing the feminism theme. the thesis tries to explain the effect of first person narration in two aspects: the first person narration stands for discourse right; the first person narration unveils the suffering of suppressed women in a blunt way. The author chooses a mad woman as the narrator, reveals her psychological state through her fragmented diaries and associates her fantasy with the yellow wallpaper so as to shape vividly the image of a woman suffering from patriarchy and deprivation of basic rights. 

Keyword: first person narration ; unreliable narration ; mad woman; feminism

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

I. Introduction-1

II. Literature review-2

2.1 Studies on Writing Features-2

    2.1.1 Unique Viewpoint: First Person Narration -2

    2.1.2 Innovative Focus: The Process of Going Mad-3

    2.1.3 Writing State: Hysterical Writing-3

    2.1.4 Means of Artistic Expression : Psychopathological Symbolism-3

2.2 Studies on Feminism Theme-3 

III. Body-4

  3.1. First Person Narration Realizes Woman’s Protest against Patriarchal Society-5

3.1.1 The Importance of Expression Right to Woman in That Age-5

3.1.2 Woman’s Right to Express as a Threat to Patriarchal Society -6

    3.1.2.1 First Person Narration Itself Offers the Woman a Right to Express-6

    3.1.2.2 First Person Narration Enables the Due Attention Paid to a Mad Woman-6

  3.2. First Person Narration Exposes the Woman’s Suffering Under Patriarchal Society-7

3.2.1 Crazy Fantasy of a Suffering Woman as an Unreliable yet True Narration-7

    3.2.1.1 Crazy Fantasy Throughout the Story-7

    3.2.1.2 First Person Narration Renders a Crazy Woman to be an Unreliable yet true Narrator -8

3.2.2 Pathetic Suffering of a Mad Women through Diaristic Narration  -8

    3.2.2.1 Diaristic First Person Narration Reveals the Real Progress of the Woman Going Mad.-8

        3.2.2.1.1 Her Attitude Toward the Isolated House-9

        3.2.2.1.2 Her Attitude Toward Her Husband-10

        3.3.2.1.3 Her Attitude Toward Writing-11

IV. Conclusion-12

References-13