Approaches to Teaching Gilman's ""the Yellow Wall-Paper"" and Herland

by Davis, Cynthia J.

• ISBN13: 9780873529013
• ISBN10: 0873529014
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-02-01
• Publisher: Modern Language Assn of Amer

Summary

Although the rediscovery in 1973 of the long-forgotten story "The Yellow Wall-Paper" (1892), by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, met an enthusiastic reception, no one expected the enormous impact it would have, resulting in dozens of articles and books, numerous dissertations, dramatizations on stage and in film, and inclusion in college literature anthologies. Not surprisingly, then, the story, often alongside Gilman's second-most-famous work, Herland (1915), is widely taught in a variety of disciplines. This volume addresses the rewards and challenges of teaching these two works and offers a practical and valuable resource for teachers who are new to Gilman as well as for experienced teachers looking for fresh approaches.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Series	ix
Preface to the Volume	xi
Introduction: On Teaching Gilman	xv
PART ONE: MATERIALS
Denise D. Knight
Cynthia J. Davis
Paperback Editions and Anthologies	3	(3)
Further Readings for Students	6	(3)
Further Readings for Teachers	9	(2)
Background Studies	9	(1)
Biography	10	(1)
Critical Studies	10	(1)
Aids to Teaching	11	(6)
PART TWO: APPROACHES
Issues in Teaching Gilman's Works
Texts and Contexts in Gilman's World: A Biographical Approach	17	(9)
Denise D. Knight
Ideology and Aesthetics in Teaching Gilman's Works	26	(6)
Gary Totten
Gilman's Socialism as Background to Her Writings	32	(8)
Mark W. Van Wienen
Placing Gilman in a Context of Intellectual Debate	40	(8)
Michael J. Kiskis
Teaching Gilman in the Context of Her Short Fiction, Poetry, and Nonfiction	48	(5)
Michelle N. McEvoy
Teaching ``The Yellow Wall-Paper''
Teaching ``The Yellow Wall-Paper'' through the Lens of Language	53	(8)
Catherine J. Golden
Finding Patterns in the Text: Close Reading ``The Yellow Wall-Paper'' as an Exercise	61	(6)
Michelle A. Masse
The Use of Audiovisual Material as an Aid in Teaching ``The Yellow Wall-Paper''	67	(8)
Guiyou Huang
A Psychological Approach to Teaching ``The Yellow Wall-Paper''	75	(9)
Judith Harris
Using Role-Playing in Teaching ``The Yellow Wall-Paper''	84	(6)
Carol Farley Kessler
Priscilla Clement
Teaching ``The Yellow Wall-Paper'' through French Feminist Literary Criticism	90	(7)
Janet Gabler-Hover
Teaching Herland
Teaching Herland in Context	97	(9)
Melanie V. Dawson
This Land Is Herland, This Land Is Our Land? Teaching Herland in a Course on Community and Identity in American Literature	106	(5)
Wendy Ripley
Confronting Issues of Race, Class, and Ethnicity in Herland	111	(7)
Lisa Ganobcsik-Williams
The Intellectual Context of Herland: The Social Theories of Lester Ward	118	(7)
Gary Scharnhorst
Charlotte Perkins Gilman's Herland and the Gender of Science	125	(8)
Lisa A. Long
Teaching Gilman in Course Contexts
Teaching ``The Yellow Wall-Paper'' in an Introductory Literature Course	133	(10)
David Faulkner
Teaching the Politics of Difference and ``The Yellow Wall-Paper'' in Women's Literature Classes	143	(9)
Mary C. Carruth
Teaching ``The Yellow Wall-Paper'' in a Class on Women's Autobiography	152	(7)
Kara Virginia Donaldson
Teaching Herland in an American Literature Course	159	(7)
Joanne B. Karpinski
Teaching ``The Yellow Wall-Paper'' in the Context of American Literary Realism and Naturalism	166	(9)
Cynthia J. Davis
Notes on Contributors	175	(4)
Contributors and Survey Participants	179	(2)
Works Cited	181	(14)
Paperback Editions and Anthologies	181	(1)
Books and Articles	181	(13)
Audiovisual Materials	194	(1)
Index	195