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In the story The Yellow Wallpaper written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Jane who is the narrator, tells a story that is an account of her own life and bout with mental illness. John her husband who is a doctor, suppresses her by controlling her maternal instincts and daily activities. The views of women by the medical community and society in general also contributes to the condition that she is in. Her analysis of the wallpaper that surrounds her room is representational a of her feelings and the condition that she is in. This story is representational of the suffering and repression that many women felt during the early nineteenth century by their families and community. Jane is suppressed, by the actions of John, in not letting her act out her motherly duties to her family.
Traditionally the mans duty is in the workplace, to support his family, and the womans is in the home to support her family. Jane and John have a small son who Jane is not allowed to take care of. In this case, Jane is not allowed to support her family by the elimination of her maternal role. John has ended that need by hiring Mary to fulfill that role.
Jane falls victim to the urges of the an desires of her maternal instincts. Her depression is greaten ed by not being able to mother her child. The comment that she makes that the windows of her bedroom were barred for Little Children, shows how her motherly duties have been suppressed by her illness and also by John. John controls Jane by keeping her from the normal daily duties of a housewife.
He has hired his sister Jennie to keep up the house and to take care of Jane while he is at work. I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change would do me good, Jane says in the first part of the story. He believes that it is best for Jane to rest. She is absolutely forbidden to work until I am well again. During a majority of the story Jane tries to convince John that it would do her good to be able to help out in the home and to write in her journal. She does write for a while in spite of them but she admits that it does exhaust her.
Writing would help Jane express her emotions, that John is not there to hear, and it would be a from of stimulus for her. In not letting Jane write John is suppressing her again. Jane is told by John that the whole reason that they came there is for her to rest. He tries to convince her that he is doing what is best for her. The views of medical community during the Nineteenth Century on Mental Illness and womans issues in general are expressed during this story, her reaction to these views contribute to Jane s depression and illness. During the story she tries to convince her husband that this treatment of rest is not working, but he does not listen and The rest of the paper is available free of charge to our registered users.
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Free research essays on topics related to: maternal, medical community, mental illness, nineteenth century, jane
Research essay sample on Mental Illness Nineteenth Century
