Mental Illness In The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

A depiction of mental illness in literature would be “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Gilman. Charlotte writes about a woman who finds herself feeling a bit under the weather. She does not tell us exactly what is wrong with this woman but gives us a clue that she had recently had a baby. So for argument sake let’s assume that the narrator, who is the sick woman, is suffering from postpartum depression. Her husband John who is a doctor tells her that there is nothing wrong with her. He believes that she is has a nervous condition and that the rest cure is the best solution. The “Rest Cure” was a methodology used during this era where the patient would do nothing but rest, no work, and minimal socialization. However, in this instance, good intentions did not prevail.
She believes “that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.” But due to women’s standing in society at that time, her husband made the decisions for her health, so as she says “what is one to do?”. John, rents a house in the country and they take the room at the top of the house because it’s said to be airier, however, it also has bars on the windows and hideous yellow wallpaper. We’re told that she is taking tonics and is forbidden to write. Thus leaving her medicated, alone and stuck in a room with the only thing to occupy her mind is her hatred of the yellow wallpaper. This treatment is almost the complete opposite of what a woman with post partum depression would be prescribed today. Being active and doing things that stimulate the brain are highly