Illnesses In Women
Mental Illnesses in Women
In the 19th century hysteria was a common illness among women, it was even considered to be “an excessively female disease” by Sigmund Freud, a neurologist in late 1800s and early 1900s. During this time period many women were considered to have mental illnesses, like hysteria, but were not treated properly by their doctors and families. The US National Library of Medicine even states that due to prejudice mental disorders in women were often misunderstood and misinterpreted. A Rose for Emily and The Yellow Wall Paper both show that in the 19th century women and their mental health issues were not taken seriously. Mental illnesses that affected women during this time were not thought of as serious by people or treated …show more content…
-add more here- In the story Yellow Wallpaper the woman is treated poorly by her family, who also happen to be her doctors. This quote from the story, “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? My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing.”(Gilman) shows that she was considered to have “temporary depression”, or hysteria, by her husband and brother who are both doctors. Another quote from this story, “I take phosphates or phospites -- whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to "work" until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas.”(Gilman) shows that they made her do live a way that she did not want to. In the story A Rose For Emily, although Emily is not formally diagnosed with a mental disorder, she is thought of by her community as a crazy, lonely, old woman. This quote from the story “ So when she got to be thirty and was still single, we were not pleased exactly, but vindicated; even with insanity in the family she wouldn't have turned down all of her chances if they had really materialized.” (Faulkner) Shows that the people in the town believed that Emily was crazy. …show more content…
Women were not taken seriously at this time period, and neither were their mental illnesses. Doctors often perscribed treatment that was unfit for them or overlooked their symptoms. The stories A Rose For Emily and The Yellow Wallpaper show this. In both stories the women have mental issues, whose are overlooked by her community and one who is being looked away as “treatment”. These stories show the struggles that mentally ill women faced in the 19th
In the 19th century hysteria was a common illness among women, it was even considered to be “an excessively female disease” by Sigmund Freud, a neurologist in late 1800s and early 1900s. During this time period many women were considered to have mental illnesses, like hysteria, but were not treated properly by their doctors and families. The US National Library of Medicine even states that due to prejudice mental disorders in women were often misunderstood and misinterpreted. A Rose for Emily and The Yellow Wall Paper both show that in the 19th century women and their mental health issues were not taken seriously. Mental illnesses that affected women during this time were not thought of as serious by people or treated …show more content…
-add more here- In the story Yellow Wallpaper the woman is treated poorly by her family, who also happen to be her doctors. This quote from the story, “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? My brother is also a physician, and also of high standing, and he says the same thing.”(Gilman) shows that she was considered to have “temporary depression”, or hysteria, by her husband and brother who are both doctors. Another quote from this story, “I take phosphates or phospites -- whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to "work" until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas.”(Gilman) shows that they made her do live a way that she did not want to. In the story A Rose For Emily, although Emily is not formally diagnosed with a mental disorder, she is thought of by her community as a crazy, lonely, old woman. This quote from the story “ So when she got to be thirty and was still single, we were not pleased exactly, but vindicated; even with insanity in the family she wouldn't have turned down all of her chances if they had really materialized.” (Faulkner) Shows that the people in the town believed that Emily was crazy. …show more content…
Women were not taken seriously at this time period, and neither were their mental illnesses. Doctors often perscribed treatment that was unfit for them or overlooked their symptoms. The stories A Rose For Emily and The Yellow Wallpaper show this. In both stories the women have mental issues, whose are overlooked by her community and one who is being looked away as “treatment”. These stories show the struggles that mentally ill women faced in the 19th