A Womans Struggle Captured in The Yellow Wallpaper

A Womans Struggle Captured in The Yellow Wallpaper Pregnancy and childbirth are very emotional times in a womans life and many women suffer from the baby blues. The innocent nickname for postpartum depression is deceptive because it down plays the severity of this condition. Although she was not formally diagnosed with postpartum depression, Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935) developed a severe depression after the birth of her only child (Kennedy et. al. 424). Unfortunately, she was treated by Dr. S. Weir Mitchell, who forbade her to write and prescribed only bed rest and quiet for recovery (Kennedy et al. 424). Her condition only worsened and ultimately resulted in divorce (Kennedy and Gioia†¦show more content†¦Johns actions can easily be interpreted with the same malice. The narrators insistence that John is a caring and loving husband draws special attention to the true meanings behind his words and actions. Would a man deeply concerned for his wifes mental state constantly leave her alone to tend after patients with serious conditions (Kennedy et al. 426)? Any time John speaks to his wife, he uses the third person voice or refers to her as little girl or some other term of endearment (Kennedy and Gioia 430,431). He never uses her name, therefore he never really recognizes her as a person nor an equal. This dialog can easily be compares to one between a parent and his child. Because the room was an old nursery this idea is strongly enforced. Hance, there is no oddity in the fact that the narrator comes to think of herself as a child (Twentieth 111). She comments on the fact that the children tore the wallpaper and later admits to doing it herself (Kennedy et al. 426,428). Her regression is also demonstrated by her comparison of her present room with the bedroom of her childhood (Kennedy and Gioia 427,428). The underlying theme of womans rights emanates from every part of The Yellow Wallpaper. In an essay by Elaine R. Hedges, she points out how the wallpaper symbolized the gross lack of women rights (Short 119). The yellow smooches that Jennie finds on the clothes of theShow MoreRelated`` The Yellow Wallpaper `` And `` It s A Girl ``1651 Words   |  7 PagesPerkins Gilmans, who wrote â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† to challenge the ideals of society and their treatment towards women. Gilman, faced with the discriminatory and prejudiced challenges of her gender, her childhood shadowed and pelted on with poverty, and her mind plagued with the constant, deafening humming of nervous postpartum depression, unambiguously determined that she was going to raise her voice against constant chattering of chauvinist values. â€Å"The Yellow Wallpaper† is a direct echo of Gilman’sRead More The Subjugation of Women in The Yellow Wallpaper2519 Words   |  11 PagesThe Subjugation of Women in The Yellow Wall Paper  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      In the nineteenth century, women in literature were often portrayed as submissive to men. Literature of the period often characterized women as oppressed by society, as well as by the male influences in their lives. The Yellow Wallpaper presents the tragic story of a womans descent into depression and madness. Gilman once wrote Womens subordination will only end when women lead the struggle for their own autonomy, therebyRead MoreEssay on Fall of Asclepius95354 Words   |  382 Pagessurvivors will rise up to eliminate this infection of our world, our people. I will fight for you. Thomas held the light up and stared into the dancing yellow flame. Ashes to ashes... Dust to dust. The clouds started to gather again. The wind was fast, causing the clouds to collect in the sky at a fast rate. Thomas pressed the yellow flame against a small trail of gas that led away from the pile. The fire spread until reaching the pile. The flames spread across the bodies until the entire