Comparing and Contrasting The Yellow Wallpaper

The stories The Yellow Wallpaper and Tell Tale Heart are two very unique stories. Both stories are similar to eachother and both have differences. The most significant similarities are the true meanings of the stories and the  genre. The main idea of the stories are insanity. In Tell Tale Heart, the narrator goes from describing the wallpaper as "... repellant,almost revolting..." (Gilman) To saying she was trapped in the wallpaper. The narrator in Tell Tale Heart had similar tendencies by claiming, "You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing." (Poe) But by the ending, the narrator was saying, "Villians!...It is the beating of his hideous heart!" (Poe) The narrators both start off almost denying their insanity, but by then end, they let it succumb them. Another very obvious similarity is the genre; Gothic Lit. Gothic lit is described as "...writing that employs dark and picturesque scenery, startling and melodramatic narrative devices, and an overall atmosphere of exoticism, mystery, and dread." (Kennedy) Both of the stories have examples of Gothic Lit. In The Yellow Wallpaper, the narrator and John move into an abandon mansion and the narrator suspects there was some sort of legal issue. In Tell Tale Heart, the narrator gives of an erie vibe and speaks of dreading seeing the man's vulture like eye. There are also quite a few differences between the articles. Tell Tale Heart tells the story in a perspective of a man murmuring an elder he works for. The story shows Poe inner demons and the problems he has with death. The Yellow Wallpaper shows the story in the perspective of a woman during the Victorian Era who is battling for her rights and to keep her sanity. The authors are also very different. Poe is viewed as a pioneer in the genre of Gothic Lit. While Gilman, is said to have been inspired by him. The stories may be different, both they both share one main similarity; they will forever give insight on a different point in time. These stories will both live on as inspirations to some, confusing to many and shocking to all.  

 

Citations:

Poe, Edgar A. Tell Tale Heart. Boston. Leland & Writing, 1843. Magazine.

Gilman, Charlotte P. The Yellow Wallpaper. Boston. Small and Mayard, 1899. Print.

Kennedy, Patrick. Gothic Literature. About.com. 2016. Web.