The Yellow Wallpaper 'And Memoirs Of A Madman'

Madness In the World Madness; the state of being mentally ill. Aristotle once said “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.” This quote is relevant in all 3 short stories. In the short stories “Memoirs of a madman” by Nikolai Gogol, “A Madman’s Diary” by Lu Xun, and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by charlotte Perkins Gilman, the protagonists are driven mad by their surroundings. In “Memoirs of a madman” by Nikolai Gogol, Poprishchin falls deeper into madness because he is beaten and torchered instead of getting help for his sickness. When Poprishchin was in jail the leaders were so frustrated with him for calling himself the king of spain that they say, “...if you call yourself “King Ferdinand” again, I will drive the wish to do so out of you.” Poprishchin thinks, “I knew, however, that that was only a test…” Him not being recognized as the king of spain just made the madness he already had get worse. When Poprishchin was in jail “... they began to let cold water trickle on

Jane explains how, “John is away all day, and even some at nights…” She also complains about how John wouldn't let anyone see her or her see anyone, “...to let me have those stimulating people about now”(Gilman). Jane being alone all day, and her husband not letting anyone visit, is just making her more crazy. Humans don't like to be alone therefore her madness is getting worse. After the protagonist believes she is not getting any better John thinks different, “Just carried me upstairs and laid me on the bed, and sat by me and read to me…”(Gilman). Her husband treating her like a child is messing with her mind and is causing her to get even sicker in madness. The madness in the aspect of Jane being alone all day and her husband treating her like a child show effect of her madness in “The Yellow