Psychological thriller, "The Yellow Wallpaper", by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, delves into the social stigma faced by those suffering with mental illness and the utter suppression of women in the time period. The excerpt from "Hill's Manual of Social and Business Forms: A Guide to Correct Writing" by Thos. E. Hill and "Rest in the Treatment of Nervous Disease" by S. Weir Mitchell were useful sources in developing a new interpretation of the short story.  Historical treatment of nervous diseases and the social role of women lends a heavy hand to the literary work, "The Yellow Wallpaper" through its portrayal of supposed treatment and the expectations of the protagonist; without there elements and the background knowledge learned through research the story would lose much of its impact and would not shed its light on sensitive historical topics.  

"The Yellow Wallpaper", may be written in response to the way women were treated in the time period. This piece was written in response to the treatment the author received for her depression in the form of the infamous resting cure which was later considered "bad medicine" and disused. Being the most famous of all of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's works, it was a bestseller in the Feminist press. Since its original printing in the late eighteen hundreds, it has been included in various collections of both women's and American literature and textbooks (Charlotte Perkins Gilman's "The). Typical relationships and duties between two married individuals in the time period "The Yellow Wallpaper" was written is background not many people today are familiar with.

Background and context of the author's abnormal psychology and the relationship she has with her husband was illuminated in the section "The Wife's Duty", of the book "Hill's Manual of Social and Business Forms: A Guide to Correct Writing" by Thos. E. Hill. The excerpt provided a disturbing look into the expected duties of a wife in the early nineteenth century. Women had to seek permission to do simple things such as spend money and be away from the home. A clean home and admirable appearance and nature were to be expected of wives at all times in and away from their homes. In the early nineteenth century, women were denied and equal education as boys if any at all, which prevented them in many cases from engaging in work outside the home, firmly trapping them under patriarchal influence.  The theory of the domestic sphere was still largely upheld during this time, meaning that the woman was expected to remain in the domestic or private sphere while the husband went into the public sphere. A good wife was expected to not interact in the public sphere and make the domestic sphere a sanctuary of sorts for the husband to come home to. This was psychologically damaging to young women and stunted their ability to lead a fulfilling life. The way married women were expected to behave as summarized in this excerpt allows the reader to better understand the relationship between the narrator and her husband. Women were looked down upon as mentally fragile and delicate. "Hill's Manual of Social and Business Forms: A Guide to Correct Writing" made it obvious as to why the narrator's husband acts so ignorantly; speaking condescendingly to his wife and actively working to make her dependent on him. Her husband practiced spousal abuse, belittling her and responding patronizingly due to the influence of the period. It is clear that John's wife is almost afraid of her husband, causing her to adopt such passive behavior in regards to what he commands of her. The husband John believes that he is superior to the stories narrator, misjudging his wife's symptoms and leading him to his choice of forced treatment for her. In the second source, the chosen treatment is explained. 

In the nineteenth century women were often diagnosed with hysteria. Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell developed the widely popular "rest cure" as a way to treat women that suffered from what we may call today anxiety and depression. In the time period women were encouraged to have large families and commander grand households. Post postpartum depression following the birth of a child was a common issue plaguing the females of this time. It is thought that "the Yellow Wallpaper" is semi-autobiographical due to the fact that Charlotte Perkins Gilman herself was prescribed the resting cure to treat a bout of severe postpartum psychosis. In "Rest in the Treatment of Nervous Disease" by S. Weir Mitchell, his famous resting cure is described. The proposed treatment plan to cure hysteria was psychologically harsh and damaging. Forced participants were placed in extremely isolated environments for a lengthy period of time and not allowed to engage their minds. In addition to the forced idleness, she is encouraged to eat well, exercise, and remain completely passive. This article uncomplicated what was actually being imposed on the narrator by providing the desired effect and steps of the treatment by illustrating the treatment plan and the desired outcome. In this reformatted original work it was made clear that many doctors considered the idea that a healthy woman is one that is subordinate to male influence. With the additional knowledge and insight gained from this unsettling source it is easy to see how the narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" could descent into the depths of insanity after subjection to the treatment. This treatment was ultimately a way of forcing women to conform to social roles and to empower the patriarchy. The source "Rest in the Treatment of Nervous Disease" by S. Weir Mitchell, provided insight that enabled the reader to identify with the narrator and see how this type of treatment could lead to a certain level or insanity.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" is a Victorian story with a timeless meaning displaying prominently the sexism and negative social stigma of mental illness of polite society. "Hill's Manual of Social and Business Forms: A Guide to Correct Writing" by Thos. E. Hill and "Rest in the Treatment of Nervous Disease" by S. Weir Mitchell lent a new in-depth interpretation of Gilman's, "The Yellow Wallpaper". While we have come a long way since Charlotte's day, we still have so far to come.  This story, while short, shows the long and morbid historical suppression of the female in society and the grotesque and superficial quality of psychiatric treatment; this questions the expectations of women and their roles as members of society. 

