"A New England Nun" by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Mary Wilkins Freeman's " A New England Nun" challenges the notion that marriage is the only way in which a woman's life can be fulfilled. Mary Freeman was forced to support herself by where writing through most of her adult life and the Louisa Ellis she creates in "A New England Nun" demonstrates self-sufficiency and the ability to face the reality of her situation and her own desires.
Read "A New England Nun" and answer the following discussion questions. Keep the questions, and type your responses using a different-colored font. 
1. In this story, what is the significance of Louisa's disposition (personality, character traits, etc.)? What function does her demeanor play in the story? 
2. What is the significance of the title of this story? 
3. Explain what is meant by, "When Joe Dagget was outside he drew in the sweet evening air with a sigh, and felt much as an innocent and perfectly well-intentioned bear might after his exit from a china shop." 
4. Explain what is meant by, "...the old winds of romance whistled as loud and sweet as ever through his ears...he had for a long time a loyal belief that he heard it still, but finally it seemed to him that although the winds sang always that one song, it had another name." 
5. Explain what is meant by "...she felt like a queen who, after fearing lest her domain be wrested away from her, sees it firmly insured in her possession." 
6. Compare Louise Mallard from "The Story of an Hour" and Louisa from "A New England Nun." How are they similar? 
7. What aspects of realism can you find in this story?
8. Read the following article about the story:  http://engl360spring2015.blogspot.com/2015/02/symbolism-in-freemans-new-england-nun.html (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Discuss the symbols and their individual meanings as is discussed in the article. 

1. Could the wallpaper have been any other color? How would a change in color have changed the story? How does the color "yellow" affect you? Do you like (or dislike) it? What are the psychological implications of the color "yellow"? How would a different color change the story?

2. How does the narrator's description of the wallpaper change over time? How is the wallpaper representative of the domestic sphere?

3. Why do you think Gilman briefly changes the point of view from first person singular to the second person as the narrator describes the pattern of the wallpaper? What effect does the narrator say light has on the wallpaper?

4. What is the role of women in the text? How are mothers represented? What about single/independent women? What is important about women--in the historical context?

5. What clue does the narrator's repeated lament, "what can one do?" give us about her personality? Describe other aspects of the woman's personality that are revealed in the opening of the story. What conflicting emotions is she having toward her husband, her condition, and the mansion?

6. Give a description of John. Why does the heroine say that his profession is "perhaps . . . one reason I do not get well faster"? How does the narrator view her husband? Does she agree with John's diagnosis and treatment? Who else supports John's diagnosis? What effect does this have on the heroine?