What makes a summer house a prison ? Before women were able to vote in
1918 , society was patriarchal and women felt compelled to obey their
husbands ' The Yellow Wallpaper ``is a short story , written in first
person narration that takes place in 1870 by Charlotte Perkins Gilman ,
which deals with these issues . Although the main character 's husband is
a qualified physician , his prescriptions for his mildly depressed wife
drives her into full-blown madness "The Yellow Wallpaper " written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman might be
called a diagnosis and treatment plan that forces a new mother from
postpartum depression into postpartum psychosis . When reading this short
story , one must keep in mind that it was written during the latter part
of the 19th century . Most physicians and psychiatrists at this time were
men who did not take female issues as serious ones and tended to be
insensitive to women . Charlotte Perkins Gilman is trying to inform the
medical community that the treatment for depression at this time was not
helping but hindering the recovery process and that the cure was worse
than the disorder itself "The Yellow Wallpaper " shows how the
misdiagnosis and the mistreatment of various types of mental illness can
dramatically change an individual .
An important part of the misdiagnosis is shown in the first part of "The
Yellow Wallpaper . The main character and her husband John are moving
into a mansion because the narrator has a health issue . John is a
physician and "You see he does not believe I am sick (Gilman 538 . He
believes that she is suffering from "temporary nervous depression--a
slight hysterical tendency (Gilman 538 . It is also mentioned that she
has a brother who is also a physician and agrees with John 's diagnosis
and treatment . These two men , both doctors , seem completely unable to
admit that there might be more to her condition than just stress and a
slight nervous condition . Today the narrator would probably be diagnosed
with postpartum depression . To recover from a mental illness , the
correct diagnosis is extremely important as to determine what treatment
is necessary .
The treatment plan for the narrator 's diagnosis during this time was
called the rest cure "John says if I don 't pick up faster he shall send
me to Weir Mitchell in the fall (Gilman 541 . This refers to Silas Weir
Mitchell , an American physician , and neurologist who developed the
treatment known as the rest cure . The rest cure , which was very popular
at the time , included isolation and rest . His patients were on a
controlled diet , were not allowed to see their families , read , write or
otherwise strain themselves (Encyclopedia Britannica . 2004 . John feels
that all his wife needs is to follow the doctor 's orders to get rest , peace and quiet and not to do any work . The mansion that he has
taken her to is her see any of her family , read or even...