EmilyPearson

Mrs.Kwiatkowski
HonorsEnglish11
March7,2016

TheYellowWallpaper,bringsanewperspectivetosanepeoplehowmentallyill
peoplemayexperiencethings.Themaincharacterlivedaverydifferentlifethanwomen
livetoday.Inhertime,womenhadaspecificplaceinsocietyandtheirroleswere
differentfrommen's.Hermentalillnesswasprobablycausedbythetimeperiodshe
livedin,hertreatmentplanofisolation,andherpostpartumsyndrome.Hermental
illnesshasmanydistinctsymptoms.Thesecircumstancestogethermayhavetriggered
someSchizophreniasymptoms,whichwouldhelpreaderstosympathizewiththelady
andbegintounderstandhersuffering.
In1892,mentalillnesseswereseenassomethingweakandweretakenlightly.
Theywereoftendiagnosedasanervousdisorderanditwascommonlybelievedthatit
wasallintheillperson'shead,thattheycouldeasilyfixitjustbynotthinkingaboutit.
Mydarling,saidhe,andIbegofyou,formysakeandforourchildssake,aswellas
foryourown,thatyouwillneverforoneinstantlettheideaenteryourmind!Thereis
nothingsodangerous,sofascinating,toatemperamentlikeyours.Itisafalseand
foolishfancy.CanyounottrustmeasaphysicianwhenItellyouso?(777)Todaywe
knowthatmentalillnessisnotjustsomethingvictimscanoutthinkorreasonwith,itisout
oftheircontrol.Intodaysworld,eventhoughmentalillnessissomethingphysicians
recognizeasatrueproblem,itstillhasacertainstigmaattachedtoit.Theladyinthe
YellowWallpaperislookeddownuponbyherhusbandfornotbeingabletoovercome

herillnessduringhertimeofrest.Herhusbandmakescommentsthroughoutthestory
thatsheisactingsillyandneedstostopworryingaboutcertainthings.Atfirsthemeant
torepapertheroom,butthenhesaidIwaslettingitgetthebetterofme,andthat
nothingisworseforanervouspatientthantogivewaystosuchfancies.(772)

Healso
referencestothefactthatheisadoctorandsinceheismoreeducated,sosheneedsto
listentohim.Thisisdemeaning,butthatwasreadilyacceptedinthistime.Inthe1890s
awoman'srolewasclear:becomeawifeandhavechildren.Maybeshecouldhavea
jobasahousecleanerorsomethinglikethat,nothingprestigiousorimportant.In
today'sworldwomenarestillviewedasthehomemakerorthestayathomeparent,but
overtheyearsithasevolved.TheYellowWallpapercharactersarelivinghow
everyoneelsearoundthemdoes,butthisisleavingtheladymiserable.
Isolationisextremelyharmfultopeoplewithpsychologicalproblems.Inprisons,
isolatingdifficultordangerousinmatesiscommonlyaformofpunishmentorsolutionto
dealingwiththem.Isolationinprisonsorothercircumstanceshasshownthatitcan
causeanxiety,depression,anger,distortions,obsessivethoughts,paranoia,and
psychosis.TheladyintheYellowWallpaperdisplaysallofthesesymptoms.Shehas
depressionatthebeginningofthestory,she'sverymellowandcalm.Thisissortofa
calmbeforethestorm,becauseshestartsbecominganxiousaboutthepatternofthe
wallpaper.Itisdullenoughtoconfusetheeyeinfollowing,pronouncedenoughto
constantlyirritate,andprovokestudy,andwhenyoufollowthelame,uncertaincurves
foralittledistancetheysuddenlycommitsuicide(771)

Shealsobecomesparanoidand
angrythatotherpeoplelikeherhusbandandJenniearelookingatthewallpaperand
sheisfearfultheywillfigureitoutbeforeshedoes.Ivecaughthimseveraltimes
lookingatthepaper!
AndJennietoo.IcaughtJenniewithherhandoneitonce.(778)

Theladymayhavehadafewsymptomsinalessaggressiveform,butaftergoingtothe
vacationhomethesesymptomsflareup.Theisolationthatthevacationhomeprovides
giveshertoomuchtimetobealonewithherthoughtswhichdrivesherintoamore
severementalillness.
Whentheladyfirstgoestothevacationhome,shehadpostpartumdepression.
Postpartumstartsaspostpartumbabyblues,whichareamildformofthedepression
thatlastsafewdaysuptoafewweeks.Postpartumdepressionisalongerlasting
version.Itcouldbethattheladyhadthedepression,buttheisolationmighthave
broughtonanewproblem.ShehasmanysymptomsofSchizophrenia.Themainones
shedisplaysisseeingthingsthatarentthere,feelingindifferenttowardscertain
situations,irrationalresponsestolovedones,andinabilitytoconcentrate.Theladysees
awomaninthewallpaperandeventriestofreeher.

Thefrontpattern
does
moveand
nowonderthewomanbehindshakesit!(780)Thenintheverybrightspotsshekeeps
still,andinveryshadyspotsshejusttakesholdofthebarsandshakesthemhard.(781)
Thisisadelusiontheladygenuinelybelievessheisseeing.Sheseemstofeel
indifferentabouthernewbabywithhowunconcernedsheisforhim.Shehasaverylaid
backattitudeandsheonlymentionshimafewtimes.Mostnewmothersseemalittle
morepreoccupiedwiththeirbabieshealthandwellbeing.Theladyisshockingly
unconcerned.Asmentionedearlier,theladybecomesuntrustingofherhusbandwhenit
comestothewallpapershesirrationallyfearfulheisgoingtosolveitbeforeher.She
becameobsessedwiththeideaofsolvingthewallpaperthatitpreventsherfromhaving
rationalthoughts.ComparingherthoughtsandactionstoSchizophreniasymptoms
bringsoutalotofsimilarities.Sheseemedtohavethismentalillness.Theauthormight

nothavehadanyspecificillnessinmindwhenwritingthisstory,butthemaincharacter
couldveeasilybeenSchizophrenic.
Overall,theYellowWallpaperisfascinatingtoanalyze.Itwasalsovery
interestingtoread,becauseifthereaderputsthemselvesintheladysplacethereader
canrelatetoher.Theladyismentallydisturbed,thatisafact,buttheisolationmadeher
sicknessmuchworse.Someonewithpostpartumdepression,oranydepression,should
notbeleftaloneforlongperiodsoftimewithnothingtodo.Thevacationhomedidnt
provideherenoughstimulation,sohermindcreatedthingstoanalyzeandworryabout.
Thisisunhealthy,butitwasntherfault.Shecouldn'tstanduptoherhusband,hewasa
respecteddoctorandshewasviewedasasillyhousewife.Itsnottoodifferentfrom
howthingsaretodayinsomeways.

Resources

"Schizophrenia."MentalHealthAmerica.Web.10Mar.2016.

"JournaloftheAmericanAcademyofPsychiatryandtheLawOnline."Solitary
ConfinementandMentalIllnessinU.S.Prisons:AChallengeforMedicalEthics.Web.10
Mar.2016.

"PostpartumDepression."Symptoms.Web.10Mar.2016.