Within Charlotte Perkins Gilman short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the protagonist is suffering from what is called a “temporary nervous depression,” a common diagnosis to women of that time period. The heroine's husband is a psychologist who believes the best treatment is to forbid her from any type of stimulating activities and encouraged to eat well and get plenty of exercise and air. The central character does not agree with her husband's diagnoses, stating that she needs “congenial work, with excitement and change,” in order to get well faster (Gilman 1). The main character is confined to a single room to help keep her mind off of creating any wild imaginations. The narrator describes the room as being, “One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin. It is dull enough to confuse the eye...,pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves... they suddenly commit suicide”(Gilman 2). As the story continues, the protagonist is slowly showing signs of a worsening condition. With no other stimulus the heroine is slowly becoming enveloped with a hidden mystery that only she can see within the wallpaper. This mystery simply starts off with her finding simple patterns that later evolves into the form of a woman creeping on all fours. As she watches the patterns for a
Within Charlotte Perkins Gilman short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the protagonist is suffering from what is called a “temporary nervous depression,” a common diagnosis to women of that time period. The heroine's husband is a psychologist who believes the best treatment is to forbid her from any type of stimulating activities and encouraged to eat well and get plenty of exercise and air. The central character does not agree with her husband's diagnoses, stating that she needs “congenial work, with excitement and change,” in order to get well faster (Gilman 1). The main character is confined to a single room to help keep her mind off of creating any wild imaginations. The narrator describes the room as being, “One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin. It is dull enough to confuse the eye...,pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves... they suddenly commit suicide”(Gilman 2). As the story continues, the protagonist is slowly showing signs of a worsening condition. With no other stimulus the heroine is slowly becoming enveloped with a hidden mystery that only she can see within the wallpaper. This mystery simply starts off with her finding simple patterns that later evolves into the form of a woman creeping on all fours. As she watches the patterns for a