37 pages 1 hour read

Charlotte Perkins Gilman

The Yellow Wallpaper

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1892

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Vocabulary

How to use

This section presents terms and phrases that are central to understanding the text and may present a challenge to the reader. Use this list to create a vocabulary quiz or worksheet, to prepare flashcards for a standardized test, or to inspire classroom word games and other group activities.

Vocabulary List

1. felicity (noun):

the feeling of intense happiness

“A colonial mansion, a hereditary estate, I would say a haunted house, and reach the height of romantic felicity—but that would be asking too much of fate!” (Page 131)

2. queer (adjective):

strange or eerie

“Still I will proudly declare that there is something queer about it.” (Page 131)

3. hysterical (adjective):

suffering from uncontrollable emotions, at one time inaccurately believed to be a common condition for women

“If a physician of high standing, and one's own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression—a slight hysterical tendency—what is one to do?” (Page 131)

4. congenial (adjective):

pleasant and suited to one’s desires

“Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.” (Page 131)

5. nervous condition (noun):

an outdated term for a mental health concern, often used as a blanket diagnosis for behavior that isn’t socially acceptable

“I think it is due to this nervous condition.