
Charlotte Perkins Gillman was a stereotypical housewife. She followed every rule her husband had. She did not speak up for herself when she wanted to, and she seemed like she regretted it. Charlotte had such a normal life, her husband seemed to be the one with the stress and the problems. The projection of his stress soon stressed Charlotte and her doctor husband then misdiagnosed her with a mental illness. Perkins Gillman’s husband then had to treat more patients, because he did not allow Charlotte to work, which probably added to his stress. He was the main breadwinner of the family, and he was probably very anxious to do everything right which in the end drove his wife actually insanse.

Charlotte Perkins Gillman wrote a semi-autobiographical article called “The Yellow Wallpaper,” which detailed Gillman’s stay in her attic after her husband, John, diagnosed her with nervous depression. Gillman seems very submissive to her husband, and she always does as he says. She eats when he says eat, and she sleeps when he says sleep. She is locked up in her attic all day, and she stares at the wall for entertainment. Perkins Gillman is a perfect example of someone who will put aside her own happiness, just to satisfy her husband and family, which ultimately makes her very unhappy, she seems to actually get worse, and drives her to tear off all the wallpaper in the room.

It can be questioned why Perkins Gillman was put in the attic by her husband, John. John was a physician, not a psychologist or psychiatrist. John prescribes his wife to “take phosphates or phosphites... and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise” and forbids her from working (Charlotte Perkins Gillman 300). Why does Charlotte not question that John is prescribing her all those remedies? Charlotte even says herself that “congenial work, with excitement and change” would make her feel better (300). It is interesting to learn why Charlotte is so comfortable letting her husband make all her decisions for her without any real hesitation. She writes down all the things that she would rather be doing than sitting in an attic all day. Charlotte would rather be gardening than sitting. That would probably help her get better faster, but she is too afraid to tell her husband that. She does not even tell her sister, Jennie, that she is fine, she just lets Jennie worry about her all day while taking care of the house.

In an article written by Pndres Chktnesian, she discusses how her family was disappointed in her for not wanting to be a housewife. She discusses how being a housewife “limited [her] potential” (Pndres Chktnesian 29). Chktnesian’s family expected her to “readily assume housework… be obedient, never talk, and tend to her husband’s every need,” much like Perkins Gillman (29). Chktnesian did not want to be treated as a housewife, she wanted to “establish [herself] in the universe as a human being” (29). Chktnesian did not want her rights and freedoms to be restricted because of some man.

If Chktnesian and Perkins Gillman were in the same room, Chktnesian would view Perkins Gillman as “how [she] thought women were oppressed” (30). Chktnesian would want Perkins Gillman to speak up if she really did not feel like she was sick. Perkins Gillman even said herself, “[she] sometimes fancy that [her] condition had less opposition and more society and stimulus” (Perkins Gillman 300). She was just too afraid to speak up, presumably because she did not want to disappoint her family. Perkins Gillman’s inability to speak up makes her more sad in the end and drives her in the end to actually seem crazy by ripping all the wallpaper off the wall and locking her husband out of the attic.

Chktnesian is a good role model for women, and Perkins Gillman should follow in Chktnesian’s path. Chktnesian went against her own family’s wishes to ensure her own happiness. Her own mother was angry with her, and Chktnesian refused to change her mind to please her people. Chktnesian was Armenian and it was pretty much expected in her culture that she would marry and become a housewife and stay-at-home mom. She refused to be tied down like that. She wanted to be able to do whatever she pleases. She did not want a controlling husband like Perkins Gillman’s.

Why was Perkins Gillman’s husband, John, so adamant that Charlotte stay in the house? Why did he not believe her when she said she was feeling better? John was a doctor, and he seemed to be very in demand; “John is kept in town very often by serious cases” (304). It can be argued that John took on so many cases because of his wife’s inability to work because of the nervous depression diagnosis. A psychologist by the last name of Brenner conducted a study of the economy and the rate of admission to mental hospitals. Brenner argued that as the economy got worse, the number of people admitted to mental institutions rose. Even though Perkins Gillman was never directly admitted to any mental institution, she was diagnosed by a doctor. Because John would not let Charlotte work, he probably picked up more cases and treated more people, which could raise his stress level. Charlotte’s diagnosis affected the economy of her family.

In an analysis of Brenner’s study, done by James R. Marshall and Donna P. Funch, it was concluded “that one of the costs of economic recessions and depressions is increased mental illness” (Funch and Marshall 282). Maybe John was having some type of decrease in patients or he had competition from other doctors in the area, Charlotte’s brother was also a doctor. John could have been stressed, and his stress could have rubbed off on Charlotte and then John misdiagnosed everyday stress as nervous depression. Brenner also discusses the phenomenon in his study. He states that there are many people that are diagnosed incorrectly because they are just dealing with normal stress or anxiousness. Brenner’s study has even been used as evidence in later studies “relating emotional depression and stressful life events to economic conditions” (282-283). John’s situation with his increasing number of patients directly relates to Brenner’s study.

John and Charlotte’s situation is somewhat the opposite of what Brenner’s study suggest. John seems to be the one with the most financial stress between him and Charlotte, but yet it is Charlotte who is deemed to be ill. Charlotte’s illness seems to inflict more stress on both John and Charlotte, and also even Charlotte’s sister Jennie. John is stressed with his work and with the well-being of his wife. Charlotte is stresses with her misdiagnosis and her wanting to prove to John that she is better. And Jennie is concerned with her sister and taking care of the house.

Charlotte Perkins Gillman really needs to learn to speak up and defend herself. This whole misdiagnosis and stress to her family could have been easily fixed or avoided if she would have said something. Perkins Gillman did this to herself. Pndres Chktnesian spoke up when her family told her that she needs to be a typical submissive housewife. She held her own, even though she disappointed her family, but she valued her happiness. Brenner discusses in his study finances can have on a person’s stress level and how they are more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness. As a woman, Perkins Gillman probably felt afraid of what her husband would say or might do to her if she went against his wishes. She should not feel afraid and should speak up when she feels the need to, and she should be assertive.
