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The Yellow Wallpaper Mental Illness

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The short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” written in 1892 by Charlotte Perkins Gilman tells the story of the life of a woman, unnamed, who experiences the mental health effects of being confined in a room by her husband. This seemingly beautiful farm home eventually becomes a place of mental torment to the woman. The house features a room adorned with yellow wallpaper and other peculiar attributes that end up playing a critical role in the woman’s descent into madness. This short story is most often interpreted as a commentary on the struggles of women and treatment of mental illness in the 19th century. Through the protagonist’s experience with confinement and her descent into madness, Gilman explores themes such as mental illness, gender inequality, …show more content…

This affected both life in public and life in private for women. This, in turn, made it easy for men to maintain their position of power and control over their wives and families. Women were expected to be submissive, obedient, and dependent on their male counterparts. They were not seen as capable of making decisions for themselves or taking on leadership roles. Sadly, this ideology caused the woman’s husband to think that he knows what is best for her. While her husband believes he is helping her, he claims to know what is best for her and refuses to listen to her concerns or take her seriously. The husband treats her like a child, not allowing her to make decisions for herself or leave the bedroom. The husband’s attitude towards his wife and her condition is reflective of the patriarchal society of the 19th century. The men held the majority of the power and women's voices were often …show more content…

It was expected to be a dutiful wife and to put the husband's needs before their own. Typically, that comes along with having to suppress their own desires and ambitions. For example the woman is a writer and very passionate about it, but her husband discourages her from writing and insists that she should focus on her health and domestic duties. Her confinement in the room is symbolic of the societal restrictions placed on women. Gilman’s story highlights the limitations and expectations placed on women, and the need to break societal restrictions and carve out a space for themselves in society and their own passions and

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