Sometimes it can be hard to understand what the author's argument is, especially if one was not alive during the cultural event that they are referring to. It is important to learn the context of the time period the text was written in order to further understand the viewpoint the author is writing from. In the short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper," a woman's treatment for depression is simply rest and confinement. Through the gathering of information, one can find that this short story was written during height of woman's suffrage which explains why this woman is treated the way she is. By learning more about the history of women in the nineteenth century, one can appreciate the decent to madness of the main character in "The Yellow Wallpaper," because it is clear that the oppression of women was a cultural problem that resulted in mental illness for many women in this time period.

Rhetorical analyst, Deborah Thomas', "The Changing Role of Womanhood" gives more insight on how exactly women were oppressed during this time period by providing examples of specific laws and regulations these women had to follow. Thomas explains that the reason why so many of these women were suffering from depression was because, "men were assigning and defining the roles for women." Women were treated with very little respect and had no control over how they could live their lives, taking a toll on them emotionally and psychologically. Because men and specifically doctors were mistaking women's feelings as illness, women began to develop mental disorders.

These male doctors believed that rest was the best cure for women with depression, and although women did not agree with their diagnosis, they could not over step their boundaries by speaking out. Specifically Thomas states, "The medical profession's godlike attitude in 'The Yellow Wallpaper' demonstrates men's arrogance in the nineteenth century." Understanding that these women did not have the freedom to express their own thoughts and opinions allows the reader to sympathize with them. Without knowing that these male doctors were purposefully treating women as secondary citizens, one might not pick up one why women were experiencing so many "health" issues.

After most of these women failed to break out of these "pre-determined boundaries" set by men, they fell to diseases of depression and insanity ("Role of Womanhood"). In "The Yellow Wallpaper," the main character slowly turns to insanity because her husband is forcing her to confinement. She must rest and stay in her room where something as simple as an ugly wallpaper turns into an obsession that consumed her thoughts and mind. This obsession becomes so apparent that she begin to believe she is the woman in the wallpaper (Gilman). Although the ending of this story is exaggerated, once the reader learns that the oppression of these women was so strong, he can see how reasonable it seems to turn to these diseases because no one would listen to them.

A similar short story is written a few years later where a woman's lack of independence is expressed in a shocking way. In "The Story of an Hour," the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard is informed that her husband has been killed in a railroad accident. After the initial shock sets in, Mrs. Mallard returns to her room where she requests to be alone. Slumped down in her armchair, Mrs. Mallard is left with her thoughts and imagination as she gazes out the window. Suddenly, a weird sensation begins to come over her; feelings of joy and independence naturally creep into her mind. A certain weight has been lifted off her back because she no longer has to live under her husband; she realizes that she can now be her own person. Soon after this, Mrs. Mallard is interrupted by her sister who forcefully drags her down the stairs where a man opens the door to the living Mr. Mallard who strangely missed the railroad disaster by miles. The story ends abruptly with the shocking one liner: "When the doctors came they said she, 'Mrs. Mallard,' had died of heart disease--of the joy that kills" (Chopin). Although the doctors believed that Mrs. Mallard died because of the pure joy of her husband's return, the historical timing of this event reveals that Mrs. Mallard died of depression and sadness. 

Mrs. Mallard had begun to think of the entire life of independence she had ahead of her, and when all of that was stripped away, her heart physically stopped. Once again one can see how the diagnosis of women was skewed by male doctors who believed women were secondary citizens and were not capable of carrying an opinion or emotions. The ability to come to this conclusion is only possible through research. Without this research one could simply agree with the standings the doctors took because he or she would not be able to identify the actual reason why Mrs. Mallard dropped died. Furthermore, the author's true intentions for this short story would be unclear because the story is not supported by any context. Research should always be used in conjunction to the text because now one can identify with the cultural movements that were happening while "The Story of an Hour" was being written. 

The fact that "The Story of an Hour" was written around the same time as "The Yellow Wallpaper" shows just how important women's oppression was in the nineteenth century. By having this knowledge, one can truly understand why authors like Gilman and Chopin wrote with such conviction. These authors were being deprived of their freedoms and writing was just about their only form of expression. Although both of these stories are fiction with exaggerated endings, the emotions of both authors are accurately represented through the main characters. For example, it is likely that Gilman had thoughts of madness swirling in her head just as Chopin probably yearned for independence with all of her heart. Knowing the historical context behind these authors creates a whole other dimension to reading a text; one can understand why an author is passionate about the topic she is writing about. 

Looking back at "The Yellow Wallpaper", there are several specific instances where it is obvious that the narrator is being oppressed. A prevalent example is how the narrator's husband, John, takes the narrator's condition into his own hands and determines that his wife is feeling better no matter how she feels personally. The narrator tries to explain how she is not getting better, but she says, "I stopped short, for he sat up and look at me with such stern, reproachful look that I could not say another word. 'My darling' said he, "I beg of you  do not let this disease enter your mind. Can you not trust me as a physician when I tell you so?" (Gilman 7). John will not even recognize how upset his wife is and refuses to tend to the severity of her condition, he basically just undermines her wellbeing to re-enforce his superiority as a male doctor. Rereading this text with the understanding of why John acts the way he does makes the reader feel more connected with the text and more culturally aware of that time period. 

Through the collection of specific resources, one will obtain a clear interpretation of "The Yellow Wallpaper" which exemplifies the oppression of women in the nineteenth century. In addition to this, one can connect to the author and his or her work on a deeper level because then they can sympathize to the author and what they are going through. Without the background information and the research collected, it is much harder to construct Without a basic level of context information, it is much harder to understand what the authors is writing about and more importantly why. If it was not for writers like Gilman, Chopin, and Thomas the knowledge of the history of oppressed women would not be as widely known or respected.

