As in this story Gilman describes Gerta as a ‘tall rosy cheeked baby’. She also mentions Gerta is very ‘docile’, ‘unusually teachable’ and ‘plastic’. She creates this impression on how Gerta can be easily taken advantage of which is very effective by her short and strong quotations. Most importantly she describes her as a ‘victim’ meaning that Gerta is very attractive to people especially men. Mrs. Marroner suspected the girl of ‘homesickness’ and ‘illness’ which was strongly denied and at last she suspected her of “something which could not be denied” which was pregnancy. She thinks that a tradesmen had take advantage of her.
As Mr. Marroner was away for business Gilman mentioned that he used to send letters to his wife. ‘Then came the deluge’ Gilman uses this short quote which grabs the readers attention and stands out. This shows that the letters have arrived from her husband. As soon as she received it she ‘impulsively kissed it’ this shows how much she has missed him and loves him. When she looked over the others there was one letter for Gerta but it wasn’t from Sweden which struck Mrs. Marroner a little bit odd. As soon as Mrs. Marroner read her letter it started as, ‘My poor child’. Gilman creates a lot of tension and confusion between the reader and the story itself because they are both married and how can Mr. Marroner call his wife a child is she is his wife? It also leaves the reader asking himself questions.
After she read the letter Gilman describes the letter as ‘typewritten’, ‘unsigned’ and includes an ‘American bill –fifty dollars’. The letter was unsigned so that Mrs. Marroner could find out that it was her husband as a she would have found out through the signature. The same applies so the money because he would have putt a cheque instead of money, and on a cheque you have to include a signature. Therefore Mr. Marroner cleverly hides his identity. The story gets more interesting and confusing.
After Gerta had arrived from her walk outside Mrs. Marroner asked her to read her letter. As she turned with ‘frightened eyes’ upon Mrs. Marroner looking afraid to read, it began ‘my dear wife’ and she stopped and said to Mrs. Marroner that it was her letter. Now we know what’s going on the ‘letters are mixed up’ and it is from the same person Mr. Marroner himself.
Those letters which Mrs. Marroner ‘impulsively kissed’ unknowing the upcoming horror which has terrified herself, and she thought of the tradesmen responsible of what they did to Gerta who was eventually her dirty husband Mr. Marroner who has done this ‘under the same roof’ with his ‘wife around’. If women were pregnant before they were married they were not marriageable as people would think of them as sluts. Mr. Marroner who has made both of the women utterly distraught shows his cleverness to the reader by writing one letter by hand and the other typed trying to hide his identity.
This was a very clever move and shows how much he cares for himself and how he has tried to prevent himself being caught. He thinks that Gerta would get thrown out of the house which most women would do because they would feel that they have lost their pride. If she had the baby she would be sent back to Sweden which women did in 19th century Boston. Also if she wanted a divorce even thought she was innocent she would lose all her possession as the law would be against her. That’s how difficult it was for women in Boston. Gilman blames Mr. Marroner not Gerta as everyone would. Mr. Marroner knew all the ‘consequences’ and had still done his dirty actions. Also he has hurt three people, ‘his wife’, ‘Gerta’ and ‘the baby’ Gilman writes a very dramatic quote which is ‘this is the sin of man against woman’ it is very effective because it basically describes what the whole story is about. Gilman also uses a time shift which continues to the future as Mr. Marroner arrives from his important ‘business’. By the usage of ‘flash backs’ it gives the reader an interesting insight on what Mrs. Marroner and Gerta are going through while he was at ‘business’.
When Mr. Marroner arrived away on to his disbeliefs he realized that his wife has secretly left him which makes us think where Gerta is? After Mr. Marroner has done this ‘unbelievable horror’ it makes the reader think that he still loves his wife because after ‘months’ he ‘hired private detectives’ and when anyone asked him about his wife he would say that she has gone ‘abroad for health’. He just couldn’t bear to tell anybody the truth. He even wouldn’t want to end up in the ‘newspapers’ as he is a ‘big business man’. As he hired the detectives they fond the location of where his wife was living. When he went to meet her he found out that she had changed to her ‘maiden’ name, ‘Marion’. And there she was holding her baby as a ‘bulwark’ and ‘Marion’ turned and said to him, ‘what have you to say to us?’ Gilman leaves an open ending which the reader could think about what is going to happen and I as the reader think that she might take him back because she had the guts to talk to her husband after cheating on her. Also shows that Gerta is are protecting her baby for not seeing the future dad as he will be known as a CHEAT. But if I was in ‘Marion’s’ position I would just chase him out of the house and not even talk to him.
Gilman clever uses certain techniques that make the reader very interested. Theses techniques such as, flash backs creates a dramatic impact on the reader as it keeps them thinking on what is going to happen next.