I think it's interesting you didn't mention Jenny at all. She also lives in the house and spends time with the narrator, but because she's John's sister, she wholeheartedly believes the narrator is sick. I'm thinking she's a metaphor for those who don't realize they're oppressed and still agree with the oppressors. When you're trying to get better or get reform, it isn't always the oppressors that cause the most damage, it's the people who're like you and still don't fight back.
I'm disappointed that my school never pointed out that this was *based on a true story.* Or at least a real "treatment" that people were being subjected to at the time.
One thing I always took from this story, especially because of the unreliable narrator, is that she had been the woman she saw in the wall. The groove that she eventually finds herself following was of her own making. She had been doing the "creeping" for quite a while, not at all realizing that who she was seeing was herself. That was the most terrifying part of it for me. Additionally, because she would have been touching the wall so much at that point, the smell would of course have been following her.
I just finished reading the yellow wallpaper and Immediately turned on this video to try to contextualize/ make sense of what I just read. And only after the intro did I realize that the walls of the room in my uni are a weird pale yellow
Man I remember we read this in a summer writing class I took at a community college and it was handled so poorly. As someone who has suffered from depression I found myself really relating to the narrator, but all the professor had to say literally amounted to "lol it's a horror story because she's crazy and kills her husband. That's all there is to it she's just craaaazy." I felt gutted and honestly really hurt. I wanted to say something about how insensitive that interpretation was to those who suffered from mental illness, but between my shock and the worry that maybe I had missed something, that she (and by extension myself) was crazy after all kept me quiet. It's a minor thing but I still regret my silence. Needless to say I was glad when that course was over and I got the credit I needed to leave.
Kittyhalk Wow, I’m so sorry that happened to you! I know how suffocating it can be to be in a class with a bigoted professor who’s only focused on shoving his/her bias down students’ throats just because he/she is an authority figure. I hope at least this CrashCourse analysis helps provide some of the interpretations that were missing in your class!
It’s a shame that people teach it like that because it completely ignores how well this story works on multiple levels. The Yellow Wallpaper is viscerally upsetting as a weird fiction tale because of its premise and pacing, but it’s also about a real practice that did real harm to people and that only makes it scarier. The fact that a book about the consequences of treating women and the mentally ill as fragile can be this scary is kind of the point. It’s a great read if you want to be freaked out and decided to comb “Supernatural Horror in Literature” for short story suggestions. It’s also a great read if you want to read about the horrible things we’ve done to people, assuming it’s for their own good.
I think one of the most disturbing forces on our planet is the failure of people without mental illness to recognize the struggle of those with it - or worse, when they make it into spectacle. Thank you for sharing your story
That is awful. I remember reading this in school, and while I believe it was treated with seriousness, it was also possibly one of the stories we read to just have knowledge of the work for AP English - I didn't understand that the author herself had gone through this treatment until this video. I knew I identified with it deeply, but understood far less about psychology then than I do today. If I had known, and my professor was treating it like a joke? That is beyond painful. I'm so sorry.
I first read this story when I was 12 years old. The gender role/mental illness subtext understandably eluded me at the time - I simply found it to be one of the most frightening things I'd ever read (my mother never kept me from reading anything I could actually read). As an adult, I clearly recognized the greater meaning of the story, but still find it one of most disturbing stories I've read. God knows, I'll never hear the word 'creep' again without a shudder.
I read "The Yellow Wallpaper" in high school, but my teacher totally didn't explain it well to any of us because we all just thought it was weird and nonsensical. And, as someone who suffers from mental illness, I really relate to this kind of story because it reflects my experiences with mental illness and my realization that the worse thing that can be done to mentally ill people is to isolate them because it removes all healthy frame of reference from our world which causes us to begin to believe the things that our minds are telling us and leaves us with no way to pull ourselves out of our own toxic ways of thinking.
Elsa I’m sad it’s over. But hey! Check out Sarcastic Production! They do both history, literature, and mythology videos! (Oh and writing tropes!) super cool stuff!
I wrote an essay comparing Bertha from Jane Eyre and the woman in the Yellow Wallpaper (the whole "Madwoman in the Attic" theme) and it is by far my favorite essay I've written in college; love these two stories and how they connect.
I first read The Yellow Wallpaper in high school Literature as a depressed 15-year-old. It impacted me tremendously. For the first time in my young life, there was a relatable representation of some of the things I was feeling. It was and still is truly, truly terrifying. I have re-read it since but have never lost that sense of terrible dread. When I saw the title for this episode, I nearly didn't watch it for the anxiety that I feel just reading the words "The Yellow Wallpaper". For me, this story re-enforced the fear and paranoia I experienced at the mere thought of telling anyone else about my terrifying thoughts. My worst and most irrational fear at that time was that I would be locked away in a padded room, a prisoner with no-one but my awful thoughts for company and no-one to believe me. The story explored that fear and showed me what could happen to my own mind if I didn't sink my fingers deep into my own reality. As I got older and feared to speak about what was happening or seek treatment, I became increasingly worse. In time I found myself lying on the floor of my bedroom for hours each night, staring at the shadows on the ceiling of my dimly lit bedroom. I unconsciously created my own captivity as a means to escape a perceived one. To say that The Yellow Wallpaper is a good exploration and representation of depression, while accurate, feels like an understatement. Today, 15 years later, reflecting on those experiences and considering what questions or answers I take away from The Yellow Wallpaper I am left with one overwhelmingly powerful answer: to give in to the madness is not freedom, but the ultimate prison. Whether a victim of circumstance through oppression, self-inflicted, both or neither; it is so vitally important to RESIST. To seize one's freedoms and to express, earnestly and without reservation the troubling (and equally the beautiful) thoughts within. Isolation is the road to madness, and ultimately death. Be it the death of one's 'self' or a true physical death, both seem as certain. 10+ years of various therapies have taught me the tremendous value of being able to express an idea, however troubling, and have it accepted, validated, and sometimes challenged by another human with whom you have a trusting connection. For these lessons, I am grateful and I am alive.
I feel this story very hard. When I haven’t spoken or been around other people (that I actually have conversation with) for a while, I totally flip out. I start getting weird and planning to be Batman.
My mom is a doctor and she pretty much was my John when I felt like I had ADHD, and was struggling to cope with it and still meet her expectations. She would also never let me go out as a child and only drag me out on her terms. I very much felt like "jane".
I regularly teach this story in my junior English class with the full lit crit treatment. The only story that both freaks them out and fascinates them more is "A Rose for Emily".
The Yellow Wallpaper and A Rose for Emily are still some of the creepiest stories I've ever read, and I'm still so glad my professors assigned them in my classes.
A Rose for Emily is my go-to example for how a twist ending should be written! It definitely haunted me the first time I read it, I was 11. What a weirdly heartbreaking and horrific concept.
I , too, was deeply affected by this story when I first read it (and every time I have read it since). For as long as I can remember, I have suffered from bipolar disorder and mild agoraphobia, which went undiagnosed until postpartum depression exacerbated it to where I needed to get help. I now live with my daughter, also bipolar, and my parents' nine cats. We moved in with my parents years ago to help my mother look after my father who had Alzheimer's disease. After he died, it was not long before she, too, suffered from dementia. She passed away just before this past Halloween. i became aware, then, that for more than two years i had only been out of the house to get to or from the car to run errands. My prison had been just as real as the narrator's in the story, but I think it was of my own making. It is one of those instances where I had seen a phenomenon in someone else, even a fictional character, but had failed to recognize it when it happened to me. In the story, the narrator sees the woman in the wallpaper creeping about the edges of the room, and even creeping about outside in the garden. That always seemed to me to represent the narrator's desire and need to try to escape, and her fear of actually doing so. I know just how that feels. Sorry to have run on so long, but the story still gets to me, even just hearing someone talk about it.
I read this in undergrad, shortly after suffering from postpartum depression for 2 years. Reading The Yellow Wallpaper was so raw and real for me. Charlotte really speaks to those feelings and others in my class completely missed the mental aspect of the story she tells. Its one of the best short stories I've ever read.
Oh, the Yellow Wallpaper! I have a lot of thoughts on this story. I loved it the first time I read it in high school, and then I went to a women's college and read it in about three more classes. I read it before I read Jane Eyre, and when I read that novel, the relationship between Jane and Bertha immediately struck with its similarty. Turns out Jane Eyre was an inspiration on Perkins-Gilman. Anyway! Good discussion, though I would add a couple of things. First, I feel like you left out one of the most interesting aspects of the story, which is that at some point, John takes away the narrator's notebook, and it's like, how's she even writing the story at that point? Also, I think there's a strong argument against the idea that the narrator is free at the end. Gilbert and Gubar wrote a criticism about how the house is representative of the woman's body, and at the end she's freed from systems of oppression because she's escaped into her own mind. But what I noticed when I reread the story is that there's a strong emphasis on the prison imagery in the last scene. There's a key, but the narrator has thrown it out the window and can no longer reach it. I took this to mean that she's become trapped within her own mind (which especially makes sense if you consider the house-as-body argument). She seems to have become incapable of rational thought, and more importantly, of communication with anyone around her; she can no longer reach beyond herself. Without a way to communicate, she has lost all influence over her own fate, and is completely at the mercy of those around her. Not that she had any power to begin with, but... Ironically, her insanity kind of speaks for itself-- there's a very satisfying feeling of "Told you so!" with that ending, haunting and sad as it is. Anyway! If you're interested in the story, but haven't read it (or even if you have) there's a good radio performance by Agnes Moorehead you should check out; it's very good.
The fact that she threw the key outside is a clear sign of how she's been indoctrinated in the oppressive society of that time - because think, if she really wanted no one to come in, she wouldn't throw the key away - John finds the key in the end, and opens the door. She's really incapable of thought and incapable of stepping out of her indoctrination.
Brah, trust me. We wouldn't be frustrated cuz we're not hardcore lit crits. We would be frustrated cuz Freudian psychology is one of the most heavily misogynistic, twisted, and unreliable types of "psychology" ever to exist. Then again the comparison to this time period flies cuz that's what the point was anyway. You good
I mean, Freud is factually incorrect about how memory formation works in humans but that doesn't mean it isn't a valuable tool for understanding a fictional character. The basic idea is that people had an idea (or more commonly a desire) that they thought was socially unacceptable so they pushed it deep into their subconscious but since memories cannot actually be destroyed, only mutated (according to Freud) it would manifest later in substitute forms as slips of the tongue, fantasies, or neuroses. The return of the repressed is when the subconscious memory reasserts itself by coming out. While demonstrably untrue scientifically, that basic flow of trauma, repression, acting weird from holding it back, remembering it, then coping in a healthier way as a result can be a useful literary trope.
Ares Dominguez Castillo the first shot at a scientific discipline is always the worst shot. Freud built an important foundation in that he was the first to definitively state that there are processes occurring in the mind that effect behavior but which aren't readily apparent to the individual experiencing them. He also laid the groundwork for talk-therapy, the idea that simply sitting down and being listened to can help people a great deal, even if he did give them shitty advice or ignored their problems completely (especially if they were women...his basic thing with women was "i'll take a nap. you yap into my ear for an hour and we're done").
I read this in a gothic story compilation when I was about 11. At that age I had no clue about mental illnesses, but the story really stuck with me. It was definitely the one that stood out the most amid the assortment.
Not only was this one of my favorite crash courses due to your team's excellent writing and your passion and presetation style, the comment thread here is facinating and brought me to tears a few times. The yellow wallpaper is one of my favorite books but also it scared me so much when I read it in highschool I had to hide it between other books because somehow just looking at it gave me the heebie jeebies. We read the yellow wallpaper and the bell jar the same semester and I remember really feeling like I was wrangling with my own mental illness at the time. Thank you so much for sharing.
Actually, reading this story precipitated a breakdown, when I was in grad school. I was admittedly near a break already, but this pushed me over. I have a vivid memory of sitting on the back of the classroom, laughing, and I didn't know why and I couldn't stop. And it was as though I was watching it all happen from outside myself. I went home, went to bed, and pretty much stayed there for about two weeks, until one of my daughters dragged me to the doctor. Was she really ill? Or was John gaslighting her? I was seriously getting the feeling that he was trying to convince her that she could not trust her own observations and judgement - because he had something going on the side. (Jane?) I was feeling like I was also being told not to trust myself, though for different reasons, and I had my own wallpaper to crawl under. Great post John!
We're reading this for my Abnormal Psychology class for a paper and this was really useful. We're supposed to "diagnose" the main character and also discuss cultural norms and their effect on mental illness, so this confirmed my thoughts previous to watching this. Thanks John!
This is a much better way to present this story than when I encountered it in my studies. The adjunct for my English 101 course had an approach as if she were prosecuting a case: she would ask questions, often too vague, sometimes with a followup, but generally conclude with, "interesting," or "I see," or, "is that what you think?" all the while her tone and attitude being very adversarial. She sometimes hinted that we were not on the right track, but never seemed to suggest that we might be getting something "right," (as it seemed there was a "right" and a "wrong" and not much else when it came to interpreting fiction in her course). Of course, this lead to decreasing participation, which was inevitably followed by her glaring around the room and demanding, "no one? no one has a response? very well," at which point, curiously enough, she would simply move on to her next point, without elaborating. After a few of these, she would go into the, "did any of you read this? do I have to waste my time and yours with quizzes every class?" before a couple of hesitant hands would go up and she would give an exasperated "thank you," and the whole routine would begin again. To say I learned nothing in that class would be inaccurate, however; I learned of my first out-gay jazz musician, which helped me feel more of a place within the genre, and I learned now not to engage a class in a discussion. I should probably re-read the story now.
I read this in one of my lit classes in college 5 or 6 years ago and it genuinely creeped me out. Anytime it mentioned the patterns looking like an imprisoned woman creeping about, chills ran up my spine as my imagination took flight. There was a horror movie playing in my mind and I was at the edge of my seat worrying about how dark the story was going to get. I had read horror before, but that was the first time I had such an intense visceral reaction to a story.
Speaking as someone with severe depression who is struggling to get better, I kind of wish a modified rest cure was possible. Forbidden intellectual stimulation and forced health regimes, like the Yellow Wallpaper’s narrator suffered, are awful and just exacerbate the problems, but sometimes I feel like I would get better faster if I could just step back from daily life and focus on getting better, rather than being forced to fit treatment into the struggle of making ends meet and all the myriad difficulties of life. I know it sounds lazy and I feel guilty for thinking it, but figuring out how to feed myself is already almost too difficult...getting better from crippling depression while dealing with that and a thousand other problems is next to impossible.
I hear you I suffer from depression too. I think today we are overstimulated and capitalism forces us to constantly 'produce' which is so challenging with the fatigue and exhaustion that is depression. And this story is the opposite extreme to cage women's intellect through the 'rest cure'. But yes, I feel like depression would heal if we could all just go to a spa instead!!! :-)
There was a modified form of this treatment in Japan based upon Zen. The idea was: Lock yourself in a room with nothing to do except eat or sleep. the trick is you only do this for three days. Basically, in this isolation unit the person would be fine the first day, then by the middle of the second day he would begin to purge his illness through wild screaming and tantrum-throwing, and eventually all the negativity would drain out and you'd be left with a clear and calm mind. it actually worked on occasion, even though it was a pretty primitive treatment that sometimes did more harm than good.
I think some walthy people do this. Go to idyllic, luxourious resorts where there is councelling and activities and people to help you eat and sleep right and wean off of destructive behaviours. The problem with might be that the work you do there might not stick as well when you're back into your regular environment where it's easy to fall into old routines.
I am a pharmacy technician.. and I sometimes wonder if the Yellow Wallpaper is in medications themselves? Seeing regular doctors - not psychologists - pass out controlled substances without a second thought is terrifying to me. I don't see it as a conniving conspiracy... but simple laziness and apathy committed by overworked doctors, and patients unwilling to take the time to extensive therapy they may need - the intention of which is to eventually wean OFF the medication, rather than continually rely on it. When I had my last physical appointment, I was stunned at how willing my doctor was to tell me I "might be depressed" because I lost sleep due to work according to the questioneer. Yes, I lost sleep due to work because someone got fired and two people quit - of course I was working more and sleeping less. No, I wasn't depressed. But I wonder how many give in to such a suggestion?
What's just as bad is when you suggest that the diagnosis or treatment given may not be correct or effective, only to be accused of "knowing more than the doctor does". There is the expectation to accept the evaluation of the professional without question, at the risk of being outright dismissed. Certainly not all medical and mental health professionals are like that - these days, most seem to be better in that regard. Nor is it only doctors who may respond in that way, as I've had family members condescendingly tell me that I thought I knew better just because I questioned a doctor's conclusion.
On the flip side i was on the verge of suicidal and had a GP tell me "everyone feels that way, get over it" it also saddens me that to think that if he thinks everyone feels that way that he must feel that way. And he belives that he himself should also "get over it" and not seek further help.
Luboman411. While it is important that physicians dont just give pills to anyone and everyone. Some people with these "miner" ailments do actually need medication and we shouldnt demonize them. For some people the talk therapy doesnt help. For them it is usually a legitimate hormone imbalance and not a lack of healthy lifestyle or thinking mistakes
Gonna write an essay about this story in a Trauma in Literature course, so of course im here to be inspired and choosing on what i should focus. Thanks John Green!
I've loved this story ever since I read it in high school. Still one of my most favorites. Thank you for presenting this as a dystopia, I never thought of it that way.
She certainly was, yet she did hold a few less progressive ideas when it came to race that come close to those of H.P Lovecraft. That broke my heart while researching her for a paper, but her feminist ideals still seem quite solid.
Yellow wallpaper for me was the yellow spackle walls of the jail where they strapped me into a chair, restrained my movements, and left me to stare until I fell asleep sitting up. Not much metaphor needed.
JOHN I THINK YOU FORGOT THAT WEIR (the dude who invented rest therapy) ALSO "TREATED" MARY SHELLY and ya wonder why the book *Frankenstein* has so much torture in it
I always assumed that the pervasive smell was directly associated with her illness. Green Victorian wallpaper infamously contained arsenic, and in moist climates could kill people who slept in the room it was in. I assumed that the smell, which was attributed to moisture and mold, may have been a toxic mold of some kind, triggering hallucinations and exacerbating her (already fragile) condition.
i truly appreciate the literature series you're doing. I, myself, went through some, if not, most of the material you have presented so far in college. It's one thing having a crash-course and the other truly having to go through it as one's curriculum. It leaves you richer in empathy and more self-reflective. The Yellow Wallpaper is no exception to this. Especially, when the book itself is a manifest against a very popular, at that time, diagnosis that was hysteria.
Well HELLO!!!!! I do enjoy the conversations we have been having around these dystopian novels. Thanks Crash Course team for keeping these videos and conversations coming! And thanks John for making them fun and interesting!
This sounds amazing. The line about seeing over was devastating to me. I have been to that precipice and I know exactly how she felt but I have never heard it so well described.
I am really appreciative that John got kind of personal in this episode. Obviously I am aware that everyone can experience mental health issues but to hear John talk about it the way he did I just feel very grateful. It gave me some peace about my own. Thanks John!
I feel psychiatric wards (at least the ones ive experienced) can be compared to rest cure as it separates those with mental illnesses from the outside world and (at least for me) made the illnesses worse
The discussion John makes on the social climate surrounding women at the time is very important. Women were not able to control themselves fiscally, politically, or domestically. They were made subordinate in every way, which is very important to the relationship between John and the woman. John (the husband, not Green) is a classic example of a husband who writes off his wife's mental health or asserts his role as the "controller" in the marriage. The added note that we can't rely on her narrative is very important. Throughout the short story her views change, her perception changes, and her mental state is very much so in decline. We don't know what of her story is true for the characters from what is fiction. It is important to keep that in mind throughout the entire narrative, to continually question what is happening...
My problem with telling my story, usually through poetry, is that I constantly fight myself when I think "no one wants to read my story. Who am I to think my story is important?" I send out my stuff for submission anyway, but it's still a constant hump that I have to crawl over when I write.
O'Phylia S I don't know if you've ever read any short stories, poems or novels by Ray Bradbury, but I recommend it. A large portion of his body of work was retellings of events in his life. Some, beat for beat, while some exaggerated into a new story. He often spoke of "writing from what you know" and writing your first draft "from the heart not the head". The story/poem has inherent value because it's rooted in a form of truth. It isn't based on how you perceive people will like it or hate it. Bradbury would tell you to "get out of the way of your subconscious. It's smarter than you are." So if you find yourself wanting to write a story or poem from your life, then sit down and write it! Truth is valuable in all forms. Also, find a writer's group if you don't have one. They can help you edit your stories and poems as outsiders and give you a fresh perspective on things. Keep it up!
Think that big artists thought the same. Van Gogh thought he was à shitty painter. We can't know if what we do is good, the only way is to show it to others.
I've tried to get over that by writing about that, specifically. That crawl. Those self doubts, and all the things that branch out from them. There's something I know to be true in the words when I do that, because the intensity of the self doubt is so strong it just can't not be equally intense when I read back what I've transformed it into.
Gosh, it's even worse when you put your work out there and don't receive much recognition - I mean I believe it's merely a function of doing it long enough to be noticed, but when life events and a lack of emotional energy to keep producing are factored in, it feels like a lifelong struggle please don't ever give up
Thanks. I've gotten a few things out there and I have something upcoming, but now I kind of feel like "well, that's all the good pieces I'll ever write. Guess I'll die (i will not actually die, i promise)." I know intellectually it's impostor syndrome, but it's still hard to keep pushing. But I will keep pushing. Thanks so much for your kind words
A friend of mine recommended this book to me not long ago, when my own mental health was not all one might hope it would be, and this in no small way helped resolve me to make the changes I needed to recover. Interesting indeed to hear an analysis of it
I thought ‘Jane’ (actually Jennie, to imply she has dissociated so much that she doesn’t remember her right name, unless that is a nickname), is presumed to be her sister in Law, who is tending to household tasks because she is not allowed it. You are missing an entire chunk of the middle of the narrative. I was disappointed that you missed out in particular on the part when she observes the woman ‘creeping about’ outside during the day. One of my favorite lines of literature of all time is the way she describes the figure ‘ creeping as fast as a cloud shadow in a high wind’. I saw that part as a representation of her temptation to seize the sense of empowerment she would feel in going entirely insane. She was beginning to admire the shadow of the woman, and it shows the first inkling of a dissociation. Maybe it is just fluff. Really good video. Your analysis captures and contextualizes the sense of dread really well.
There are many essays out there that believe the narrator is suffering from post-partem depression and that the "Jane" might be the baby girl that has been separated from her. Not saying anyone is right or wrong, it's just food for thought.
TheRossMadness I have read a few, and I agree that her post-partem is explicit, but PPD doesn’t necessarily result in any hostility towards the infant, and her behaviors at the end are the culmination of a traceable group of specific feelings and delusions. One of them is that Jennie was a willful participant in her incarceration, conspiring with John to keep her stuck behind the wallpaper. It’s just my interpretation of the question mark at the end of her proclamation.
I always thought that Jane was her daughter and she’s been separated from her for so long and her mind is so damaged that she no longer knows what her own daughter’s name is. The lack of a narrator’s name I saw as an ambiguity so that others would self-impose themselves onto the narrator. Put themselves in her shoes, feel what she feels, and the lack of knowledge of who she or her daughter are. The only person whose name she knows for certain is John’s which I saw as an addition to their unequal marriage. She knows John’s name even though she doesn’t know hers and is questioning whether the name she thinks is her daughter’s is in fact her daughter’s. You could also see it as Jane being the narrator, but this is just how I read it as.
@@ediearcher7224 I think she has a baby boy, as she says, "Such a dear baby! And yet i cannot be with him". and Mary might be the babysitter and Jennie is her sister in law. The edition that i read of this story has the name "Jennie" instead of "Jane" where the narrator says, "I've got out at last, in spite of you and Jennie".
The reading list for one of my 3000 level English classes actually has The Yellow Wallpaper on it and I'm so thankful that this popped up on my homepage again!!
Aaahhh The Yellow Wallpaper!!!! I read that for one of my university English classes (failing to remember which one) and absolutely fell in love with it!!!
Thank you for doing this video! I only came across the story a few months ago and immediately realized it is based on postpartum psychosis - it is pretty realistic!!!
I'm a lit graduate and I still re-read some of the books or stories I studied and then get back to this page and enjoy watching videos about all the things I've read. Thank you for creating this Channel 💕
Am I the only one who was reminded of Bertha (from Jane Eyre) while reading this story? She was locked up in the attic all day, having literally nothing to do, so this might just as well be the cause of her getting as mad as she is at the end.
Last year I performed as the woman in an acting interpretation of the yellow wallpaper. It took a lot of research about the “rest cure” of and Gilman herself, but this video is so helpful and I wish I could’ve seen it beforehand!
I really like this video and think you're insights, John, are very helpful. But I wanted to answer the question at the end about what's my 'yellow wallpaper', and I think many people won't understand it. See, my dad works in the UN, so we move around a lot - I've lived in Bolivia, Nicaragua, Kenya, and now the US. Many people I've talked to seem to think it's such a great experience and opportunity, and sure, it is, but I feel trapped in the sense that I can't get attached to people anymore, because I'll just leave again, so what's the point? I know my mom struggles with this a lot, but my sister seems to be fine with it - I guess because she's more extroverted than I am - so I thought maybe I could explain my view to people here. Maybe someone here might understand a little better.
eva fellmann I understand what you mean. I haven't moved countries, but I had 3 high schools, 4 colleges in two states. I lived in about 16 houses throughout my formative years. Eventually the desire to form relationships was tempered. Now though, I've come to value the relationships I do have all the more. Some of the friendships I thought would be temporary have grown over the years thanks to social media. There's a friend I haven't seen in 10 years and yet we are still just as close as ever. Focus on what you value about the friend, not on the idea that you may physically leave. Relationships can continue.
That's a really good point; I guess I never really thought of it that way. Most of my friends are really introverted so don't really look at their phones a lot. This can make conversation kind of hard. But I have to keep in mind I just have to keep texting. Thanks a lot.
My mother grew up in a similar situation, and she says the same thing. Even my father moved quite a bit both as a youth and a bit as a an adult. It is why both went above and beyond the call of duty to NOT move. While this I think was done for the best I think it would have been better for me to move but then again, I don't know.
Your description of your feelings regarding forming new friendships reminds me of JD from the Heathers musical (not sure what his characterization is in the movie). You're probably not as evil and/or violent as JD was, but I just thought that was an interesting comparison.
Eva, you are not alone in this. Kids growing up overseas are often called “third culture kids” or TCKs. There are books to read and Facebook groups to join where you can find others who feel like you do. I wish you well. There are positives to being a TCK as well. 😊
Im glad that this changed how doctors treated post natal depression - my grandma was prescribed a part time job and it saved her and her marriage - which my existence is grateful for. I owe so much to my grandma and she taught me ways to deal with my own depression and mental illness
Once again you've featured a book that i now have to read! Please make more Crash Course literature videos - i keep finding out about books i've never known and how amazing they seem.
I read this in college and was haunted by it. I love it to this day. I like that you can apply the yellow wallpaper to almost any situation you feel trapped by. I don't think I'll ever get out of mine without going crazy.
Wow. It's more dramatic, obviously- being a novel and all- but this really rings true to how I felt and what I experienced after my 1st child's birth (and to some degree am still experiencing). Thankfully though, my husband iss a supportive partner and helps me as much as possible. I am curious and also terrified to read this. But mostly curious. Thanks for the video! Sometimes your videos even help people who graduated 18 years ago, not just high school kids ;-)
My favorite part of his critique is when he analyzes how she sees the wallpaper in isolated strips, with no meaning conveyed, and its only when she sees them in the context of the whole, that the woman's captivity emerges as a narration in the wallpaper.
So I'm working on an essay for The Yellow Wallpaper for my class right now, and can I say what a more ironic time to be looking at a reading about isolation during the corona virus.
I read this in college while taking two English classes. I remember that my professor said that she wanted to print the notes on yellow paper. A few months later in another American lit class I ended up in the hospital while writing my term paper on Huckleberry Finn. I was unable to write or draw for almost a week. Sometimes all I could think about was this story. The Circular rainbow pattern wallpaper didn’t help.
I think it's interesting you didn't mention Jenny at all. She also lives in the house and spends time with the narrator, but because she's John's sister, she wholeheartedly believes the narrator is sick. I'm thinking she's a metaphor for those who don't realize they're oppressed and still agree with the oppressors. When you're trying to get better or get reform, it isn't always the oppressors that cause the most damage, it's the people who're like you and still don't fight back.
I like this point a lot actually
I'm disappointed that my school never pointed out that this was *based on a true story.* Or at least a real "treatment" that people were being subjected to at the time.
"Inspired by" and "based on a true story" are two different concepts entirely.
@@TheRossMadness a bit extra don't you think
Even worse: rest cure is only for women, men were given "west cure", which encourage excessive activities like hunting, not saying that works :/
Boluwatife Ehimony nah you gotta know the difference or you will concur the wrong idea
One thing I always took from this story, especially because of the unreliable narrator, is that she had been the woman she saw in the wall. The groove that she eventually finds herself following was of her own making. She had been doing the "creeping" for quite a while, not at all realizing that who she was seeing was herself. That was the most terrifying part of it for me. Additionally, because she would have been touching the wall so much at that point, the smell would of course have been following her.
I never thought of it like that, thats amazing
That is so scary and interesting
This is exactly what I was thinking. Much better than I could’ve said it 👏🏽
An ex-boyfriend of mine said the main character in this story reminded him of me and now knowing what the story is about I’m extremely concerned.
Oops
glad he is an EX-boyfriend!
The irony of having to read this novella for school while we're all isolated in our homes... don't know whether to laugh or cry.
I just finished reading the yellow wallpaper and Immediately turned on this video to try to contextualize/ make sense of what I just read. And only after the intro did I realize that the walls of the room in my uni are a weird pale yellow
Have you started creeping yet
Man I remember we read this in a summer writing class I took at a community college and it was handled so poorly. As someone who has suffered from depression I found myself really relating to the narrator, but all the professor had to say literally amounted to "lol it's a horror story because she's crazy and kills her husband. That's all there is to it she's just craaaazy." I felt gutted and honestly really hurt. I wanted to say something about how insensitive that interpretation was to those who suffered from mental illness, but between my shock and the worry that maybe I had missed something, that she (and by extension myself) was crazy after all kept me quiet. It's a minor thing but I still regret my silence. Needless to say I was glad when that course was over and I got the credit I needed to leave.
Kittyhalk Wow, I’m so sorry that happened to you! I know how suffocating it can be to be in a class with a bigoted professor who’s only focused on shoving his/her bias down students’ throats just because he/she is an authority figure. I hope at least this CrashCourse analysis helps provide some of the interpretations that were missing in your class!
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It’s a shame that people teach it like that because it completely ignores how well this story works on multiple levels. The Yellow Wallpaper is viscerally upsetting as a weird fiction tale because of its premise and pacing, but it’s also about a real practice that did real harm to people and that only makes it scarier. The fact that a book about the consequences of treating women and the mentally ill as fragile can be this scary is kind of the point.
It’s a great read if you want to be freaked out and decided to comb “Supernatural Horror in Literature” for short story suggestions. It’s also a great read if you want to read about the horrible things we’ve done to people, assuming it’s for their own good.
I think one of the most disturbing forces on our planet is the failure of people without mental illness to recognize the struggle of those with it - or worse, when they make it into spectacle.
Thank you for sharing your story
That is awful. I remember reading this in school, and while I believe it was treated with seriousness, it was also possibly one of the stories we read to just have knowledge of the work for AP English - I didn't understand that the author herself had gone through this treatment until this video. I knew I identified with it deeply, but understood far less about psychology then than I do today. If I had known, and my professor was treating it like a joke? That is beyond painful. I'm so sorry.
This was, with out a doubt John's most personal video. You can feel his pain and triumph. I love it.
I first read this story when I was 12 years old. The gender role/mental illness subtext understandably eluded me at the time - I simply found it to be one of the most frightening things I'd ever read (my mother never kept me from reading anything I could actually read). As an adult, I clearly recognized the greater meaning of the story, but still find it one of most disturbing stories I've read. God knows, I'll never hear the word 'creep' again without a shudder.
This paragraph is honestly better written then my essay paragraph on this story
I read "The Yellow Wallpaper" in high school, but my teacher totally didn't explain it well to any of us because we all just thought it was weird and nonsensical. And, as someone who suffers from mental illness, I really relate to this kind of story because it reflects my experiences with mental illness and my realization that the worse thing that can be done to mentally ill people is to isolate them because it removes all healthy frame of reference from our world which causes us to begin to believe the things that our minds are telling us and leaves us with no way to pull ourselves out of our own toxic ways of thinking.
Crash Course Literature is my favourite series on UA-cam.
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Its soooo helpful
Elsa I’m sad it’s over. But hey! Check out Sarcastic Production! They do both history, literature, and mythology videos! (Oh and writing tropes!) super cool stuff!
I wrote an essay comparing Bertha from Jane Eyre and the woman in the Yellow Wallpaper (the whole "Madwoman in the Attic" theme) and it is by far my favorite essay I've written in college; love these two stories and how they connect.
I first read The Yellow Wallpaper in high school Literature as a depressed 15-year-old. It impacted me tremendously. For the first time in my young life, there was a relatable representation of some of the things I was feeling.
It was and still is truly, truly terrifying.
I have re-read it since but have never lost that sense of terrible dread. When I saw the title for this episode, I nearly didn't watch it for the anxiety that I feel just reading the words "The Yellow Wallpaper". For me, this story re-enforced the fear and paranoia I experienced at the mere thought of telling anyone else about my terrifying thoughts. My worst and most irrational fear at that time was that I would be locked away in a padded room, a prisoner with no-one but my awful thoughts for company and no-one to believe me. The story explored that fear and showed me what could happen to my own mind if I didn't sink my fingers deep into my own reality. As I got older and feared to speak about what was happening or seek treatment, I became increasingly worse. In time I found myself lying on the floor of my bedroom for hours each night, staring at the shadows on the ceiling of my dimly lit bedroom. I unconsciously created my own captivity as a means to escape a perceived one.
To say that The Yellow Wallpaper is a good exploration and representation of depression, while accurate, feels like an understatement.
Today, 15 years later, reflecting on those experiences and considering what questions or answers I take away from The Yellow Wallpaper I am left with one overwhelmingly powerful answer: to give in to the madness is not freedom, but the ultimate prison. Whether a victim of circumstance through oppression, self-inflicted, both or neither; it is so vitally important to RESIST. To seize one's freedoms and to express, earnestly and without reservation the troubling (and equally the beautiful) thoughts within. Isolation is the road to madness, and ultimately death. Be it the death of one's 'self' or a true physical death, both seem as certain.
10+ years of various therapies have taught me the tremendous value of being able to express an idea, however troubling, and have it accepted, validated, and sometimes challenged by another human with whom you have a trusting connection. For these lessons, I am grateful and I am alive.
When I read this I thought it was the saddest story I'd ever read.
yeah mate. darkest dystopia I've ever heard of. actually made me shiver.
Giles Corey, the book :p
I feel this story very hard. When I haven’t spoken or been around other people (that I actually have conversation with) for a while, I totally flip out. I start getting weird and planning to be Batman.
Reading this in class and it gives off a creepy tone that makes you feel sad
-then I read beloved
"Plot summery: women stares at wall" 😂😂😂😂😂😂
Same plot as Virginia Woolf`s "The Mark on the Wall"😂
Me: Cool. Can’t wait to read it. Love adventures!
We really do
My mom is a doctor and she pretty much was my John when I felt like I had ADHD, and was struggling to cope with it and still meet her expectations. She would also never let me go out as a child and only drag me out on her terms. I very much felt like "jane".
We’re about to read this in English. Thanks so much John!
Owen Cutler
This is typical of first year college courses...
Therrydicule that’s why it’s so cool
I'm in high school and I'm about to read it.....
same
Lol wow and u watched this first. Just wasted the one deadass good story I read in a whole semester of literature
I regularly teach this story in my junior English class with the full lit crit treatment. The only story that both freaks them out and fascinates them more is "A Rose for Emily".
The Yellow Wallpaper and A Rose for Emily are still some of the creepiest stories I've ever read, and I'm still so glad my professors assigned them in my classes.
A Rose for Emily is my go-to example for how a twist ending should be written! It definitely haunted me the first time I read it, I was 11. What a weirdly heartbreaking and horrific concept.
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is another really good one
“Rest Cure” literally is just isolation. It is a form of torture. The truest form of madness for a human being. :(
I , too, was deeply affected by this story when I first read it (and every time I have read it since). For as long as I can remember, I have suffered from bipolar disorder and mild agoraphobia, which went undiagnosed until postpartum depression exacerbated it to where I needed to get help. I now live with my daughter, also bipolar, and my parents' nine cats. We moved in with my parents years ago to help my mother look after my father who had Alzheimer's disease. After he died, it was not long before she, too, suffered from dementia. She passed away just before this past Halloween. i became aware, then, that for more than two years i had only been out of the house to get to or from the car to run errands. My prison had been just as real as the narrator's in the story, but I think it was of my own making. It is one of those instances where I had seen a phenomenon in someone else, even a fictional character, but had failed to recognize it when it happened to me. In the story, the narrator sees the woman in the wallpaper creeping about the edges of the room, and even creeping about outside in the garden. That always seemed to me to represent the narrator's desire and need to try to escape, and her fear of actually doing so. I know just how that feels. Sorry to have run on so long, but the story still gets to me, even just hearing someone talk about it.
I read this in undergrad, shortly after suffering from postpartum depression for 2 years. Reading The Yellow Wallpaper was so raw and real for me. Charlotte really speaks to those feelings and others in my class completely missed the mental aspect of the story she tells. Its one of the best short stories I've ever read.
Oh, the Yellow Wallpaper! I have a lot of thoughts on this story. I loved it the first time I read it in high school, and then I went to a women's college and read it in about three more classes. I read it before I read Jane Eyre, and when I read that novel, the relationship between Jane and Bertha immediately struck with its similarty. Turns out Jane Eyre was an inspiration on Perkins-Gilman. Anyway! Good discussion, though I would add a couple of things.
First, I feel like you left out one of the most interesting aspects of the story, which is that at some point, John takes away the narrator's notebook, and it's like, how's she even writing the story at that point? Also, I think there's a strong argument against the idea that the narrator is free at the end. Gilbert and Gubar wrote a criticism about how the house is representative of the woman's body, and at the end she's freed from systems of oppression because she's escaped into her own mind. But what I noticed when I reread the story is that there's a strong emphasis on the prison imagery in the last scene. There's a key, but the narrator has thrown it out the window and can no longer reach it. I took this to mean that she's become trapped within her own mind (which especially makes sense if you consider the house-as-body argument). She seems to have become incapable of rational thought, and more importantly, of communication with anyone around her; she can no longer reach beyond herself. Without a way to communicate, she has lost all influence over her own fate, and is completely at the mercy of those around her. Not that she had any power to begin with, but... Ironically, her insanity kind of speaks for itself-- there's a very satisfying feeling of "Told you so!" with that ending, haunting and sad as it is. Anyway! If you're interested in the story, but haven't read it (or even if you have) there's a good radio performance by Agnes Moorehead you should check out; it's very good.
Interesting! i read this book in my women's studies course and really enjoyed it. do you know where i can find this radio performance?
The fact that she threw the key outside is a clear sign of how she's been indoctrinated in the oppressive society of that time - because think, if she really wanted no one to come in, she wouldn't throw the key away - John finds the key in the end, and opens the door. She's really incapable of thought and incapable of stepping out of her indoctrination.
As a literature professor myself, I love your videos! You strike a great balance between explaining the text, its background, and also its appeal!
Brah, trust me. We wouldn't be frustrated cuz we're not hardcore lit crits. We would be frustrated cuz Freudian psychology is one of the most heavily misogynistic, twisted, and unreliable types of "psychology" ever to exist. Then again the comparison to this time period flies cuz that's what the point was anyway. You good
I mean, Freud is factually incorrect about how memory formation works in humans but that doesn't mean it isn't a valuable tool for understanding a fictional character. The basic idea is that people had an idea (or more commonly a desire) that they thought was socially unacceptable so they pushed it deep into their subconscious but since memories cannot actually be destroyed, only mutated (according to Freud) it would manifest later in substitute forms as slips of the tongue, fantasies, or neuroses. The return of the repressed is when the subconscious memory reasserts itself by coming out.
While demonstrably untrue scientifically, that basic flow of trauma, repression, acting weird from holding it back, remembering it, then coping in a healthier way as a result can be a useful literary trope.
Ares Dominguez Castillo the first shot at a scientific discipline is always the worst shot. Freud built an important foundation in that he was the first to definitively state that there are processes occurring in the mind that effect behavior but which aren't readily apparent to the individual experiencing them. He also laid the groundwork for talk-therapy, the idea that simply sitting down and being listened to can help people a great deal, even if he did give them shitty advice or ignored their problems completely (especially if they were women...his basic thing with women was "i'll take a nap. you yap into my ear for an hour and we're done").
"Maybe they're attempts to find meaning in an extremely limited experience"- what a perfect comparison to The Handmaid's Tale
I read this in a gothic story compilation when I was about 11. At that age I had no clue about mental illnesses, but the story really stuck with me. It was definitely the one that stood out the most amid the assortment.
One thing that the ending reminded me of when I read it was the way that animals in a zoo pace and fixate when they are understimulated
Fantastic breakdown!
This is one story I’ve always wanted to dig into a little deeper
Not only was this one of my favorite crash courses due to your team's excellent writing and your passion and presetation style, the comment thread here is facinating and brought me to tears a few times. The yellow wallpaper is one of my favorite books but also it scared me so much when I read it in highschool I had to hide it between other books because somehow just looking at it gave me the heebie jeebies. We read the yellow wallpaper and the bell jar the same semester and I remember really feeling like I was wrangling with my own mental illness at the time. Thank you so much for sharing.
Actually, reading this story precipitated a breakdown, when I was in grad school. I was admittedly near a break already, but this pushed me over. I have a vivid memory of sitting on the back of the classroom, laughing, and I didn't know why and I couldn't stop. And it was as though I was watching it all happen from outside myself.
I went home, went to bed, and pretty much stayed there for about two weeks, until one of my daughters dragged me to the doctor.
Was she really ill? Or was John gaslighting her? I was seriously getting the feeling that he was trying to convince her that she could not trust her own observations and judgement - because he had something going on the side. (Jane?) I was feeling like I was also being told not to trust myself, though for different reasons, and I had my own wallpaper to crawl under.
Great post John!
The end of this video really moved me john, thank you for being so open with how this story impacted you.
I'm so excited that you guys finally covered this story - it's one of my all-time favorites!
We're reading this for my Abnormal Psychology class for a paper and this was really useful. We're supposed to "diagnose" the main character and also discuss cultural norms and their effect on mental illness, so this confirmed my thoughts previous to watching this. Thanks John!
This is a much better way to present this story than when I encountered it in my studies. The adjunct for my English 101 course had an approach as if she were prosecuting a case: she would ask questions, often too vague, sometimes with a followup, but generally conclude with, "interesting," or "I see," or, "is that what you think?" all the while her tone and attitude being very adversarial. She sometimes hinted that we were not on the right track, but never seemed to suggest that we might be getting something "right," (as it seemed there was a "right" and a "wrong" and not much else when it came to interpreting fiction in her course). Of course, this lead to decreasing participation, which was inevitably followed by her glaring around the room and demanding, "no one? no one has a response? very well," at which point, curiously enough, she would simply move on to her next point, without elaborating. After a few of these, she would go into the, "did any of you read this? do I have to waste my time and yours with quizzes every class?" before a couple of hesitant hands would go up and she would give an exasperated "thank you," and the whole routine would begin again.
To say I learned nothing in that class would be inaccurate, however; I learned of my first out-gay jazz musician, which helped me feel more of a place within the genre, and I learned now not to engage a class in a discussion.
I should probably re-read the story now.
I read this in one of my lit classes in college 5 or 6 years ago and it genuinely creeped me out. Anytime it mentioned the patterns looking like an imprisoned woman creeping about, chills ran up my spine as my imagination took flight. There was a horror movie playing in my mind and I was at the edge of my seat worrying about how dark the story was going to get. I had read horror before, but that was the first time I had such an intense visceral reaction to a story.
Speaking as someone with severe depression who is struggling to get better, I kind of wish a modified rest cure was possible. Forbidden intellectual stimulation and forced health regimes, like the Yellow Wallpaper’s narrator suffered, are awful and just exacerbate the problems, but sometimes I feel like I would get better faster if I could just step back from daily life and focus on getting better, rather than being forced to fit treatment into the struggle of making ends meet and all the myriad difficulties of life. I know it sounds lazy and I feel guilty for thinking it, but figuring out how to feed myself is already almost too difficult...getting better from crippling depression while dealing with that and a thousand other problems is next to impossible.
I hear you I suffer from depression too. I think today we are overstimulated and capitalism forces us to constantly 'produce' which is so challenging with the fatigue and exhaustion that is depression. And this story is the opposite extreme to cage women's intellect through the 'rest cure'. But yes, I feel like depression would heal if we could all just go to a spa instead!!! :-)
There was a modified form of this treatment in Japan based upon Zen. The idea was: Lock yourself in a room with nothing to do except eat or sleep. the trick is you only do this for three days. Basically, in this isolation unit the person would be fine the first day, then by the middle of the second day he would begin to purge his illness through wild screaming and tantrum-throwing, and eventually all the negativity would drain out and you'd be left with a clear and calm mind. it actually worked on occasion, even though it was a pretty primitive treatment that sometimes did more harm than good.
I think some walthy people do this. Go to idyllic, luxourious resorts where there is councelling and activities and people to help you eat and sleep right and wean off of destructive behaviours.
The problem with might be that the work you do there might not stick as well when you're back into your regular environment where it's easy to fall into old routines.
I am a pharmacy technician.. and I sometimes wonder if the Yellow Wallpaper is in medications themselves? Seeing regular doctors - not psychologists - pass out controlled substances without a second thought is terrifying to me. I don't see it as a conniving conspiracy... but simple laziness and apathy committed by overworked doctors, and patients unwilling to take the time to extensive therapy they may need - the intention of which is to eventually wean OFF the medication, rather than continually rely on it.
When I had my last physical appointment, I was stunned at how willing my doctor was to tell me I "might be depressed" because I lost sleep due to work according to the questioneer. Yes, I lost sleep due to work because someone got fired and two people quit - of course I was working more and sleeping less. No, I wasn't depressed. But I wonder how many give in to such a suggestion?
What's just as bad is when you suggest that the diagnosis or treatment given may not be correct or effective, only to be accused of "knowing more than the doctor does". There is the expectation to accept the evaluation of the professional without question, at the risk of being outright dismissed. Certainly not all medical and mental health professionals are like that - these days, most seem to be better in that regard. Nor is it only doctors who may respond in that way, as I've had family members condescendingly tell me that I thought I knew better just because I questioned a doctor's conclusion.
In my experience, doctors have been either expensive or incompetent regarding mental health. I can't fathom the conditions two centuries ago
On the flip side i was on the verge of suicidal and had a GP tell me "everyone feels that way, get over it" it also saddens me that to think that if he thinks everyone feels that way that he must feel that way. And he belives that he himself should also "get over it" and not seek further help.
Luboman411. While it is important that physicians dont just give pills to anyone and everyone. Some people with these "miner" ailments do actually need medication and we shouldnt demonize them. For some people the talk therapy doesnt help. For them it is usually a legitimate hormone imbalance and not a lack of healthy lifestyle or thinking mistakes
I agree with you .
Gonna write an essay about this story in a Trauma in Literature course, so of course im here to be inspired and choosing on what i should focus.
Thanks John Green!
I've loved this story ever since I read it in high school. Still one of my most favorites. Thank you for presenting this as a dystopia, I never thought of it that way.
Gilman sounds like an amazing woman
She certainly was, yet she did hold a few less progressive ideas when it came to race that come close to those of H.P Lovecraft. That broke my heart while researching her for a paper, but her feminist ideals still seem quite solid.
Yellow wallpaper for me was the yellow spackle walls of the jail where they strapped me into a chair, restrained my movements, and left me to stare until I fell asleep sitting up. Not much metaphor needed.
GilgameshEthics
well don't read depressing novels then maa
JOHN I THINK YOU FORGOT
THAT WEIR (the dude who invented rest therapy) ALSO "TREATED" MARY SHELLY
and ya wonder why the book *Frankenstein* has so much torture in it
You were right about "soon enough" seeing it "everywhere"
John green is a legend after 4 years in high school I think that looking back I couldn't survive without him thank you so much
to put it mildly she went completely bonkers from isolation.
Considering quarantine, right now this is happening
@@Ada-kr4io i was just gonna say
I always assumed that the pervasive smell was directly associated with her illness. Green Victorian wallpaper infamously contained arsenic, and in moist climates could kill people who slept in the room it was in. I assumed that the smell, which was attributed to moisture and mold, may have been a toxic mold of some kind, triggering hallucinations and exacerbating her (already fragile) condition.
This season (and series) is one of the best crash course has ever made in any course. Good work guys!
i truly appreciate the literature series you're doing. I, myself, went through some, if not, most of the material you have presented so far in college.
It's one thing having a crash-course and the other truly having to go through it as one's curriculum. It leaves you richer in empathy and more self-reflective.
The Yellow Wallpaper is no exception to this. Especially, when the book itself is a manifest against a very popular, at that time, diagnosis that was hysteria.
Have been learning so much about English Literature! Thanks, guys!
I love this story. It's been close to my heart since I found an anthology of stories that evoked gothic tropes or themes.
Well HELLO!!!!! I do enjoy the conversations we have been having around these dystopian novels. Thanks Crash Course team for keeping these videos and conversations coming! And thanks John for making them fun and interesting!
This sounds amazing. The line about seeing over was devastating to me. I have been to that precipice and I know exactly how she felt but I have never heard it so well described.
Thank you John Green! I was able to write my thesis after only having watched 1:32 of this video
Absolutely loved this episode. Thank you for everything that you do, John Green. Thank you for being you.
I am really appreciative that John got kind of personal in this episode. Obviously I am aware that everyone can experience mental health issues but to hear John talk about it the way he did I just feel very grateful. It gave me some peace about my own. Thanks John!
I found this channel because my daughter was reading John Green. We need more writers like John Green. Thank you .
John! Thanks so much for sharing your own experience.
I feel psychiatric wards (at least the ones ive experienced) can be compared to rest cure as it separates those with mental illnesses from the outside world and (at least for me) made the illnesses worse
The discussion John makes on the social climate surrounding women at the time is very important. Women were not able to control themselves fiscally, politically, or domestically. They were made subordinate in every way, which is very important to the relationship between John and the woman. John (the husband, not Green) is a classic example of a husband who writes off his wife's mental health or asserts his role as the "controller" in the marriage. The added note that we can't rely on her narrative is very important. Throughout the short story her views change, her perception changes, and her mental state is very much so in decline. We don't know what of her story is true for the characters from what is fiction. It is important to keep that in mind throughout the entire narrative, to continually question what is happening...
Something about John’s literature videos seems more serious than his history ones.
One of my favourite short stories, ever... thanks Crash Course
wonderful analysis, really loved it!
I completely forgot that I had read this last year in my American Literature class. I'm so glad this brought back to my mind.
John, a personal thank you to this insightful video that you published. it has been helpful towards writing my english thesis.
Loved the Thought Bubble. The animation and the sound really creeped me out!!
Lol. Very lively
My problem with telling my story, usually through poetry, is that I constantly fight myself when I think "no one wants to read my story. Who am I to think my story is important?"
I send out my stuff for submission anyway, but it's still a constant hump that I have to crawl over when I write.
O'Phylia S I don't know if you've ever read any short stories, poems or novels by Ray Bradbury, but I recommend it. A large portion of his body of work was retellings of events in his life. Some, beat for beat, while some exaggerated into a new story. He often spoke of "writing from what you know" and writing your first draft "from the heart not the head". The story/poem has inherent value because it's rooted in a form of truth. It isn't based on how you perceive people will like it or hate it. Bradbury would tell you to "get out of the way of your subconscious. It's smarter than you are." So if you find yourself wanting to write a story or poem from your life, then sit down and write it! Truth is valuable in all forms.
Also, find a writer's group if you don't have one. They can help you edit your stories and poems as outsiders and give you a fresh perspective on things.
Keep it up!
Think that big artists thought the same. Van Gogh thought he was à shitty painter. We can't know if what we do is good, the only way is to show it to others.
I've tried to get over that by writing about that, specifically. That crawl. Those self doubts, and all the things that branch out from them. There's something I know to be true in the words when I do that, because the intensity of the self doubt is so strong it just can't not be equally intense when I read back what I've transformed it into.
Gosh, it's even worse when you put your work out there and don't receive much recognition - I mean I believe it's merely a function of doing it long enough to be noticed, but when life events and a lack of emotional energy to keep producing are factored in, it feels like a lifelong struggle
please don't ever give up
Thanks. I've gotten a few things out there and I have something upcoming, but now I kind of feel like "well, that's all the good pieces I'll ever write. Guess I'll die (i will not actually die, i promise)." I know intellectually it's impostor syndrome, but it's still hard to keep pushing.
But I will keep pushing. Thanks so much for your kind words
A friend of mine recommended this book to me not long ago, when my own mental health was not all one might hope it would be, and this in no small way helped resolve me to make the changes I needed to recover. Interesting indeed to hear an analysis of it
I thought ‘Jane’ (actually Jennie, to imply she has dissociated so much that she doesn’t remember her right name, unless that is a nickname), is presumed to be her sister in Law, who is tending to household tasks because she is not allowed it. You are missing an entire chunk of the middle of the narrative. I was disappointed that you missed out in particular on the part when she observes the woman ‘creeping about’ outside during the day. One of my favorite lines of literature of all time is the way she describes the figure ‘ creeping as fast as a cloud shadow in a high wind’.
I saw that part as a representation of her temptation to seize the sense of empowerment she would feel in going entirely insane. She was beginning to admire the shadow of the woman, and it shows the first inkling of a dissociation.
Maybe it is just fluff.
Really good video.
Your analysis captures and contextualizes the sense of dread really well.
There are many essays out there that believe the narrator is suffering from post-partem depression and that the "Jane" might be the baby girl that has been separated from her. Not saying anyone is right or wrong, it's just food for thought.
TheRossMadness I have read a few, and I agree that her post-partem is explicit, but PPD doesn’t necessarily result in any hostility towards the infant, and her behaviors at the end are the culmination of a traceable group of specific feelings and delusions. One of them is that Jennie was a willful participant in her incarceration, conspiring with John to keep her stuck behind the wallpaper. It’s just my interpretation of the question mark at the end of her proclamation.
I'm pretty sure Mary is her sister in law; she's explicitly said to be so. If Jennie was then she'd be said to be too I think
I always thought that Jane was her daughter and she’s been separated from her for so long and her mind is so damaged that she no longer knows what her own daughter’s name is. The lack of a narrator’s name I saw as an ambiguity so that others would self-impose themselves onto the narrator. Put themselves in her shoes, feel what she feels, and the lack of knowledge of who she or her daughter are. The only person whose name she knows for certain is John’s which I saw as an addition to their unequal marriage. She knows John’s name even though she doesn’t know hers and is questioning whether the name she thinks is her daughter’s is in fact her daughter’s.
You could also see it as Jane being the narrator, but this is just how I read it as.
@@ediearcher7224 I think she has a baby boy, as she says, "Such a dear baby! And yet i cannot be with him". and Mary might be the babysitter and Jennie is her sister in law. The edition that i read of this story has the name "Jennie" instead of "Jane" where the narrator says, "I've got out at last, in spite of you and Jennie".
The reading list for one of my 3000 level English classes actually has The Yellow Wallpaper on it and I'm so thankful that this popped up on my homepage again!!
Aaahhh The Yellow Wallpaper!!!! I read that for one of my university English classes (failing to remember which one) and absolutely fell in love with it!!!
I read this in college English class and was told this was about a woman suffering from post partum depression.
We read the yellow wallpaper in my class as an introduction for our dystopian societies unit in school and this helped me a lot to understand it! 😄
Thank you for doing this video! I only came across the story a few months ago and immediately realized it is based on postpartum psychosis - it is pretty realistic!!!
I'm a lit graduate and I still re-read some of the books or stories I studied and then get back to this page and enjoy watching videos about all the things I've read. Thank you for creating this Channel 💕
Am I the only one who was reminded of Bertha (from Jane Eyre) while reading this story? She was locked up in the attic all day, having literally nothing to do, so this might just as well be the cause of her getting as mad as she is at the end.
Last year I performed as the woman in an acting interpretation of the yellow wallpaper. It took a lot of research about the “rest cure” of and Gilman herself, but this video is so helpful and I wish I could’ve seen it beforehand!
I really like this video and think you're insights, John, are very helpful. But I wanted to answer the question at the end about what's my 'yellow wallpaper', and I think many people won't understand it. See, my dad works in the UN, so we move around a lot - I've lived in Bolivia, Nicaragua, Kenya, and now the US. Many people I've talked to seem to think it's such a great experience and opportunity, and sure, it is, but I feel trapped in the sense that I can't get attached to people anymore, because I'll just leave again, so what's the point? I know my mom struggles with this a lot, but my sister seems to be fine with it - I guess because she's more extroverted than I am - so I thought maybe I could explain my view to people here. Maybe someone here might understand a little better.
eva fellmann I understand what you mean. I haven't moved countries, but I had 3 high schools, 4 colleges in two states. I lived in about 16 houses throughout my formative years. Eventually the desire to form relationships was tempered. Now though, I've come to value the relationships I do have all the more. Some of the friendships I thought would be temporary have grown over the years thanks to social media. There's a friend I haven't seen in 10 years and yet we are still just as close as ever. Focus on what you value about the friend, not on the idea that you may physically leave. Relationships can continue.
That's a really good point; I guess I never really thought of it that way. Most of my friends are really introverted so don't really look at their phones a lot. This can make conversation kind of hard. But I have to keep in mind I just have to keep texting. Thanks a lot.
My mother grew up in a similar situation, and she says the same thing. Even my father moved quite a bit both as a youth and a bit as a an adult. It is why both went above and beyond the call of duty to NOT move. While this I think was done for the best I think it would have been better for me to move but then again, I don't know.
Your description of your feelings regarding forming new friendships reminds me of JD from the Heathers musical (not sure what his characterization is in the movie). You're probably not as evil and/or violent as JD was, but I just thought that was an interesting comparison.
Eva, you are not alone in this. Kids growing up overseas are often called “third culture kids” or TCKs. There are books to read and Facebook groups to join where you can find others who feel like you do. I wish you well. There are positives to being a TCK as well. 😊
Im glad that this changed how doctors treated post natal depression - my grandma was prescribed a part time job and it saved her and her marriage - which my existence is grateful for. I owe so much to my grandma and she taught me ways to deal with my own depression and mental illness
I read Yellow Wallpaper last month and I couldn't make our what really is happenning. So Thank You Crash Course for this wonderful video
Wow. I never heard of this book, and yet it seems right up my alley. Thanks for this!
Once again you've featured a book that i now have to read! Please make more Crash Course literature videos - i keep finding out about books i've never known and how amazing they seem.
I read this in college and was haunted by it. I love it to this day. I like that you can apply the yellow wallpaper to almost any situation you feel trapped by. I don't think I'll ever get out of mine without going crazy.
Loved the analysis, especially nuanced interpretation of the "odour."
This has been my favorite short story since we read it in eighth grade! Awesome video, thanks!
Don't often watch CC Lit, glad this one caught me.
thank you SO MUCH for this new season! this vid came just in time for my midterm :)
Jane is John's sister who lives with them and helps with the baby while our main character is in her room alone.
Wow. It's more dramatic, obviously- being a novel and all- but this really rings true to how I felt and what I experienced after my 1st child's birth (and to some degree am still experiencing). Thankfully though, my husband iss a supportive partner and helps me as much as possible. I am curious and also terrified to read this. But mostly curious. Thanks for the video! Sometimes your videos even help people who graduated 18 years ago, not just high school kids ;-)
man i wish i discovered this channel earlier ! you are way better and FUNNIER than my university professors!
Great series. Dystopians are one of my fave genres. Thanks for a few more books to add to my reading list John! X
My favorite part of his critique is when he analyzes how she sees the wallpaper in isolated strips, with no meaning conveyed, and its only when she sees them in the context of the whole, that the woman's captivity emerges as a narration in the wallpaper.
I love this short story. One of my favorites!
I’m so glad you did this video, I have to analyse this and the period for my a level I’m taking next year. Thanks mate.
Just wow! Thanks for sharing I've never heard of this book or the " hand maids tale"
This will help ace my passage analysis... thank you very much!
So I'm working on an essay for The Yellow Wallpaper for my class right now, and can I say what a more ironic time to be looking at a reading about isolation during the corona virus.
This story is just so creative and artistic in the manner it is written.
This analysis helped so much! Thank you!
I also have a mental illness, worsened by the treatment of others, and also became a writer... Is this a common thing?
I read this in college while taking two English classes. I remember that my professor said that she wanted to print the notes on yellow paper. A few months later in another American lit class I ended up in the hospital while writing my term paper on Huckleberry Finn. I was unable to write or draw for almost a week. Sometimes all I could think about was this story. The Circular rainbow pattern wallpaper didn’t help.