In civilized societies throughout history, whether referencing ancient Rome or the 19th century American west, mankind has systematically and consistently oppressed roughly half of its own population. Without fail, in civilizations the world round, man has looked at its other half with an heir of superiority, and has thus labeled this segment of the population as second-tier citizens. Using brute force as their primary means, men have subjugated women relentlessly since the establishment of society as we think of it today. As a result, men have been able to impose their beliefs, their desires, and their laws on women, while simultaneously disabling women from having any influence in officialdom. For this reason, as is so tragically pointed out in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story The Yellow Wallpaper, women were given no say in their medical treatment, their education, their marriages, or really any aspect of their lives at all. However, in the 19th century, as women slowly gained more influence and fought against the status quo more persistently, men were forced to respond. Threatened by the changing tide, men began to label women who asserted themselves in society as hysterical. Prior to this diagnosis, women who so much as owned property were labeled as witches. The main character in The Yellow Wallpaper is driven insane by the sexist treatment forced upon her by her husband, a doctor. This practice, while sadly quite common, is merely one of many examples of women being held down by men out of fear of change in the 19th century. In an attempt to point out the inequality of women's position in society, Gilman's short story emphasizes how little control women have over their lives and wellbeing, and emphasizes the necessity for change, specifically in regards to women making decisions for themselves. 

The most pertinent example of women's subjugation in relation to Gilman's story is the medical bias towards men in medicine. The main character in The Yellow Wallpaper is described as hysterical, which is more likely than not a misdiagnosis for what would today be referred to simply as sexual frustration. As women during the 19th century were not supposed to be thought of as sexual beings, but rather the recipients of sexual acts, it was forbidden for them to show any sense of desire or lust. However, as these feelings are perfectly natural, women lived their lives unstimulated to the point of discomfort, often complaining of headaches, stomach cramping, and nervousness. These symptoms, which are simply the result of a lack of sexual activity, were labeled as symptoms of hysteria (Huffington Post). According to Psychology Today, medical doctors would often take advantage of these women and take the act of dealing with their sexual frustration into their own hands, literally. This gross perversion of medical expertise was practiced consistently throughout the 19th century, and helped to reinforce the sexist assumption that sexual pleasure was reserved exclusively for men (Psychology Today). Additionally, women who "suffered" from hysteria were often associated with the women's suffrage movement, according to research done at the University of Tasmania on the subject. Women with severe enough hysteria were often instructed to spend months in isolation with no intellectual stimulation, as is exemplified in The Yellow Wallpaper. Men diagnosed with similar afflictions, on the other hand, were sent out west to do hard manual labor. Such men included Theodore Roosevelt and Mark Twain (Sarah Watts). The extent of this injustice was so great, and its sphere of influence so large, that Charlotte Bronte made the focus of her revolutionary novel, Jane Eyre, a woman afflicted with this fictitious disease (Jane Eyre). By understanding the social injustices inflicted upon women in the medical realm in the 19th century, the tragedy of the main character's demise in The Yellow Wallpaper is more easily understood, as it is more evident just how dire her situation was. Given the historical background of the time period, it is quite clear that Gilman desired to bring the injustices faced by powerful women everywhere to light, and force people to look at the sickening reality of the inequality faced by half of the population.

Another method by which men maintained their ability to exert power over women was the denial of universal suffrage, a point Gilman does not explicitly refer to in her story, but implies by the main character's inability to think for herself.  Because women did not have the right to vote, all decisions pertaining to the state were made singularly by men. The 19th century saw many attempts at women attempting to achieve universal suffrage, especially in The United States in the period known as the American Renaissance. However, due to heavy opposition on the part of the oppressors, suffrage did not come until the early 20th century. Following on the heels of the civil war, women fought for the right to vote and to have a say in policy in The United States, to the dismay of many men. In order to legitimize their claims, however, they first had to overturn a stereotype that had been strengthened by thousands of years of subjugation. Prior to the women's suffrage movement, a true woman was one who was pious, submissive, and concerned solely with the wellbeing of her children and the happiness of her husband. This stereotypical image of women in the 19th century is known by historians as the "Cult of True Womanhood." This expectation of women was so established that any woman who spoke against it was considered to be hysterical (History Channel). This loop of oppression made it nearly impossible for women to gain support in a world dominated by men. In order to establish their claims, in 1848 social reformers and suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott amended the constitution to read as follows, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" (Declaration of Sentiments). It would be more than 75 years before their dream of equality would come true. Because of the medical assumption of inferiority, a fear of women's growing power, and the inability to vote, women were nearly helpless to the authority of men. Given this historical background, one can more clearly understand the frustration felt by the main character in The Yellow Wallpaper, and commiserate with the suffering she endured at the hands of those who were supposed to protect her. Gilman makes an example of the suffering faced by her main character, and shows the helplessness she faces at the hands of her oppressors in order to point out the hypocrisy of women's treatment in society.

The oppressive treatment of women throughout history was finally addressed in the 19th century. Through protest and written work, women finally took a stand against the injustices they faced in all spheres of life. Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper is one of many attempts by women to address the absurdity of their status as subordinates. Through the historical context of the 19th century, readers can better understand the motivation behind Gilman's short story, and appreciate the gravity and injustice of the main character's treatment. While still far from perfect, The Yellow Wallpaper established that if nothing else, women deserve the right to make decisions regarding their own body. It was as a result of effective, intelligent, and persistent work such as Gilman's, that suffrage was finally achieved, and women's status as inferiors was at long last abolished to the annals of history.

