An Obstacle

Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1884

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Introduction

Reading Context Questions

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Reading Comprehension Answers

Literary Device Questions

Literary Device Answers

Discussion Starters

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Activity

Discussion Starters

1. Why might Gilman have chosen to work with rhyming six-line stanzas? What is the effect of this on the poem’s meaning? What is the effect on readers?

2. In what ways is the speaker Taking Inspiration From Nature as she Overcomes Prejudice?

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3. What do you make of the poem’s ending? Is it too simplistic to suggest prejudice can be overcome by pretending it doesn’t exist, or is Gilman’s message something else?