Yellow Wallpaper
- Submitted by: idomuh
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- Category: English: Creative Writing
- Date Submitted: 04/21/2016 08:30 AM
- Pages: 3
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Childbirth has been a life-changing experience for women across the ages whether it changed their lives for the better or worse. Some women after childbirth immediately bond with the baby while in other cases, some struggle with the bonding relationship as well as any other feelings from having a child. Post-partum depression is one of the unfortunate events that may occur after childbirth that causes the mother to become depressed or anxious. In the story “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the main character shows signs of suffering from postpartum depression that causes her to go insane in the end. Looking at details in the story, the main character’s struggle with overcoming her depression reveals that women as well as the disorder were not taken seriously in this time period.
“The Yellow Wallpaper” was written in 1892, which was a time of women oppression. During this time, women’s status in society was not as equal to a man’s unlike today. Women were expected to marry and have children as well as stick to domestic duties such as cooking or cleaning while the men were expected to be the natural born breadwinners of the household. Husbands held authority over their wives, their property, and their choices, which did not leave women with much room to think and support themselves. The main character says, ”If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency – what is one to do?” (Gilman 376). In this part of the story, the main character is talking about her illness and how she feels as if the diagnose is wrong but cannot do anything about it. Since she is a woman, neither her husband nor her brother seems to understand her needs as a patient no matter how many times she tries to convey her feelings thus displaying how men truly did not take women seriously during this time period. The women later mentions “So I take phosphates...
“The Yellow Wallpaper” was written in 1892, which was a time of women oppression. During this time, women’s status in society was not as equal to a man’s unlike today. Women were expected to marry and have children as well as stick to domestic duties such as cooking or cleaning while the men were expected to be the natural born breadwinners of the household. Husbands held authority over their wives, their property, and their choices, which did not leave women with much room to think and support themselves. The main character says, ”If a physician of high standing, and one’s own husband, assures friends and relatives that there is really nothing the matter with one but temporary nervous depression – a slight hysterical tendency – what is one to do?” (Gilman 376). In this part of the story, the main character is talking about her illness and how she feels as if the diagnose is wrong but cannot do anything about it. Since she is a woman, neither her husband nor her brother seems to understand her needs as a patient no matter how many times she tries to convey her feelings thus displaying how men truly did not take women seriously during this time period. The women later mentions “So I take phosphates...