Hyperbolic Imagination: The Yellow Wallpaper

Ho-Ling Helen Chan

Dr. Natalie Neill

EN1201 A

26 June 2015

Constructive and Destructive Use of a Hyperbolic Imagination: A Comparison of The Yellow Wallpaper And The Secret Life of Walter Mitty

Inherently, imagination is neither constructive or destructive; rather it is the individual’s use of their hyperbolic, an exaggerated or overstated effect (Neill), imagination that determines the effect of their imagination. Jane (“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte P. Gilman in 1892) and Walter (“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber in 1939) shows how their hyperbolic imagination can have a constructive (where imagination allows an escape from everyday responsibilities and worries) or a destructive (where imagination causes the character

to become mentally unstable) effect. Through various literary devices, Gilman and Thurber describes how Jane and Walter uses their hyperbolic imagination to escape into a more constructive life, how hyperbolic imagination can result in a destructive restrictive or a constructive liberated experience, and how useful their hyperbolic imagination can lead to a vivid fantasy.
Gilman uses epistolary ( Neill defines epistolary as a novel made up of series of “journals” or letters written) style of writing; although Thurber does not clearly indicate that Walter is writing his adventures as a series of journals, Thurber clearly demonstrates that Walter’s hyperbolic imagination occurs as if it was part of a larger series of events. Both Gilman and Thurber presents their characters as an unreliable narrator to demonstrate how they use their hyperbolic imagination to escape towards a better “reality”.
Through Jane’s journal entries, Gilman expresses Jane’s imaginative powers. Although neither Jane’s sister-in-law nor her husband encourages her to write, she secretly keeps a journal detailing her hyperbolic fantasies (Gilman). After Jane’s hyperbolic imagination takes over, Jane does not clearly differentiate what is part of her hyperbolic fantasy and her reality (Gilman). Finally, Jane is an unreliable narrator due to her hyperbolic imagination; Jane’s account cannot be considered entirely trustworthy as Jane purposely deceives her husband in addition to the reader; Jane deceives her husband when she does not tell him that she does not sleep when he tells her to(Gilman). Through Jane’s hyperbolic imagination, Gilman deceives the reader by leaving the ending of the story open.
Compared to Gilman, Thurber does not present Walter’s hyperbolic imaginative worlds through a series of journal entries. However, Thurber clearly separates Walter’s imaginative worlds and his reality through the use of different typography. When Walter pretends to be a pilot commander, Thurber italicized Walter’s role as a captain; Thurber uses regular font to indicate his role as a driver. In addition, Thurber separates the settings by clearly separating the imaginative fantasy and sensible world through the use of different paragraphs. Finally, Thurber presents Walter as an unreliable narrator; it is evident that Walter’s knowledge is severely impaired. Although Walter imagines that he is a world famous surgeon, he makes up names of diseases (Thurber). In addition, Walter makes up the name of the gun that killed an imaginative figure called Gregory Fitzhurst (Thurber).
Gilman demonstrates how a hyperbolic imagination is initially freeing but then becomes a nightmarish prison by using different punctuation, and by socially isolating Jane. On the other hand, Thurber uses the same literary devices to prove how Water is freed from his nightmarish world towards a liberated interactive imaginative world.
As Jane progresses from being freed by her imagination towards a figurative imprisonment, Gilman uses more exclamation marks.

When Jane initially describes the wallpaper, she uses more periods as she is not using her hyperbolic imagination; merely, she is stating a fact. Through her entries, Jane notes that the wallpaper, “... is dull enough to confuse the eye [...] and [...] destroy themselves in unheard of contradictions.” (Gilman). In addition, when Jane attempts to describe the colour of the wallpaper, she sticks to the facts. Jane states that the colour of the wallpaper“ ...is [...] strangely faded by the slow-turning sunlight. It is a dull yet lurid orange in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in others” (Gilman). As Jane is fully imprisoned due to her hyperbolic imagination, she begins to use exclamation marks more frequently to describe the wallpaper. At her worst, Jane claims the wallpaper’s “...front pattern DOES move—and no wonder! The woman behind shakes it! [...] They get through,[...] and makes their eyes white !” (Gilman). Through social isolation, Gilman transforms Jane’s imaginative freedom into a literal prison. Because of her husband, Jane is socially isolated. Jane desires to visit her cousins; she pleads with her husband to invite “...Cousin Henry and Julia down for a long visit“ (Gilman). As Jane’s hyperbolic imagination figuratively constricts her freedom, she does not mind being isolated; Jane fails to mentions her desire to visit her cousins again

(Gilman).
In contrast, Walter’s hyperbolic imagination allows him to escape his nightmarish real world towards his liberated imaginative worlds. Through Walter’s imaginative worlds, Thurber decreases the use of exclamation marks, and allows Walter to become less socially isolated. As Walter’s hyperbolic imagination progressed towards a figuratively free world, Thurber uses fewer exclamation marks. While Walter imagines that he is the commander, Thurber uses exclamation marks to indicate the urgency of the situation; Thurber highlights the nightmarish scenario of deliberately flying into a storm and triggering his wife’s wrath. As the commander, Walter orders the crew to “‘Throw on the power lights! Rev her up to 8500! We're going through!’[…] Full strength in No. 3 turret!’. . .” (Thurber). As Walter is driving mindlessly, his wife’s indignation pulls Walter back into his nightmarish reality by exclaiming, “ ‘Not so fast! You’re driving too fast!’” (Thurber). However, as Walter’s hyperbolic imagination progresses, there are fewer exclamation marks used. When Walter is figuratively freed from his wife through death, as his wife asks him to wait for her, Walter, “face[es] the firing squad; [...] inscrutable to the last” (Thurber). Walter’s hyperbolic imagination allows him to escape his isolated real world towards an interactive imaginative world. Before Walter escapes into his liberated interactive worlds, his isolated social interactions with strangers are harsh and mocking; the cop snaps at him, the valent embarrases him, and a woman ridicules him (Thurber). Through Walter’s hyperbolic imagination, his imaginative interactions allows him to imagine respectful and pleasant interactions. While he is a life-and-machine saving doctor, his interactions with the other doctors is not harsh or mocking. Rather, his interactions with the fellow doctors are pleasant (Thurber). In addition, Walter imagines he is a weary army captain, his interaction with the sergeant is also respectful; the sergeant respects his captain’s choice to single-handedly attempt to destroy an ammunition dump (Thurber). Jane and Walter’s hyperbolic imagination inspires them towards a more restrictive and liberating (respectively) imaginative world.
Through the use of Jane’s and Walter’s hyperbolic imagination, Gilman and Thurber uses various literary devices to show how their imaginative lives are intensely vivid due to their hyperbolic imagination.
Jane spends a lot of time focusing her hyperbolic imagination (and attention) on the yellow wallpaper.

Gilman uses alliteration (Neill defines alliteration as the occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words), and personification, attribution of human characteristics to non-human entities (Neill), to describe the wallpaper. Jane uses alliteration to describe the wallpaper. Jane states the, “ paint and paper look as if a boys' school had used it [...] the paper in great patches all around the head of my bed.. .” (Gilman, emphasis mine). Gilman uses the letter “p” to emphasize Jane’s imaginative attention to the quality of the wallpaper’s paint and the amount of wallpaper present. In addition, Jane dislikes the colour; she claims the wallpaper is, “a smouldering unclean yellow, strangely faded by [...] slow-turning sunlight [...] in some places, a sickly sulphur tint in others. ” (Gilman, emphasis mine). Gilman uses the letter “s” to emphasize the state of the wallpaper. Finally, Jane personifies the wallpaper. As Jane analyzes the wallpaper, she notes that the wallpaper, “... sticketh closer than a brother—they must have had perseverance as well as hatred” (Gilman). Only humans can feel perseverance, hatred and have siblings; wallpapers do not feel or have blood-ties. In addition, Jane imagines that the “pattern lolls like a broken neck and two bulbous eyes stare at you […] and waddling fungus growths just shriek with

derision!” (Gilman). Only human beings can have human features and sounds; wallpapers do not have necks, eyes or make noises. Finally, Jane notes that wallpaper smell “hover[s] [...], skulk[s] [...], hid[es] [...], lying in wait for me on the stairs”(Gilman). Only humans can move; wallpapers cannot move as they are permanently stuck onto walls.
Although Thurber uses alliteration as well, Thurber mainly relies on onomatopoeia, a word that sounds like what it means (Neill), to vividly describe Walter’s imaginative worlds.Walter uses alliteration to describe imaginary actions. During his imaginative moments, Walter uses words starting with a “G” to indicate his bossy actions. While Walter imagines he is a doctor, Walter uses the words “Give” and “Get” as a demand; Walter orders someone to “Give me a fountain pen...” (Thurber, emphasis mine) and to “ ...Get on with the operation” (Thurber, emphasis mine). While Walter is an army captain, he gently orders the sergeant to “Get him (the young Raleigh) to bed...” (Thurber, emphasis mine). Although Thurber uses many literary devices to emphasize Walter’s imaginative worlds, Thurber relies on onomatopoeia to vividly demonstrates Walter’s hyperbolic imagination. As Walter orders the plane to fly at full speed, Thurber notes that the “pounding of the cylinders increased: ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa”. While Walter imagines he is a doctor, Thurber uses onomatopoeia to describe the dysfunctional machine; Walter imagines that the “... huge, complicated machine [...] [went] pocketa-pocketa-pocketa...” (Thurber). Finally, as Walter imagines that he is talking to a sergeant, he notes that, “there was the rat-tat-tatting of machine guns, and [...] the menacing pocketa-pocketa-pocketa of the new flame-throwers” going on in the background.
Although both Jane and Walter has a strong hyperbolic imagination, Walter takes advantage of his hyperbolic imagination to create a constructive fantasy whereas Jane’s destructive hyperbolic imagination leads to her downfall; her hyperbolic imagination causes her to become mentally unstable. Through various literary devices, Gilman and Thurber demonstrates how having a strong hyperbolic imagination can be used to create an imaginative world that can be used constructively or have destructive outcomes. While an individual’s desire will always have the greatest influence on their imagination, a person’s surroundings still influences their imagination. Perhaps Jane may have had a constructive hyperbolic imagination if she was exposed to varied environments.