The Yellow Wallpaper

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Yellow Wallpaper: Stream of Consciousness 1 key example

Definition of Stream of Consciousness

Stream of consciousness is a style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's extended thought process, often by incorporating sensory impressions, incomplete ideas, unusual syntax... read full definition
Stream of consciousness is a style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's extended thought process, often by incorporating... read full definition
Stream of consciousness is a style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's... read full definition
First Entry
Explanation and Analysis:

The first half of “The Yellow Wallpaper” introduces Jane as a narrator who is deliberate and in control of her thoughts. As the story progresses, however, it uses stream of consciousness to represent Jane’s actual thoughts and measure her mental decline as she's confined to a room to recover from postpartum depression. In the first half of the story, the entries are logical, coherent, and well-organized. Take, for example, Jane talking about her treatment in her first diary entry:

So I take phosphates or phosphites—whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to “work” until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.

Eighth Entry
Explanation and Analysis:

The first half of “The Yellow Wallpaper” introduces Jane as a narrator who is deliberate and in control of her thoughts. As the story progresses, however, it uses stream of consciousness to represent Jane’s actual thoughts and measure her mental decline as she's confined to a room to recover from postpartum depression. In the first half of the story, the entries are logical, coherent, and well-organized. Take, for example, Jane talking about her treatment in her first diary entry:

So I take phosphates or phosphites—whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to “work” until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.

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