
When taking a closer look at the time period when Nellie Bly wrote, “Ten Days in a Mad-House” it changes the perspective of the piece. When the reader has knowledge about the Nellie Bly and the views about mental health during the nineteenth century, the reader can view the story in a more complex way. These four articles will include information about the cultural and historical aspects during that time period as well as information about the authors life. The first journal, “Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist” is going to take a close look into the life of Nellie Bly, rebel and author of “Ten Days in a Mad-House”. The second journal, “Idiots, Infants, and the Insane” explains that many people are being treated as mentally ill and unstable when in reality being admitted into a mental institution is not crucial to their well-being- most of them are not actually crazy. The third journal, “Gove’s Specific Sex-Role Theory of Mental Illness: A Research Note” argues that married women have a higher likelihood than women of any other marital status and men of becoming depressed in their lifetime. The final, fourth journal, “The Linear Plan for Insane Asylums in the United States before 1866” argues that mental institutions are essential to the treatment of those who are truly mentally insane. These four journals provide additional insight and knowledge about the topic at hand, mental institutions and help further support Nellie Bly’s story, “Ten Days in a Mad-House”.

Brooke Kroeger, writes a riveting review, “Nellie Bly: Daredevil, Reporter, Feminist” and takes a closer look into the life of Nellie Bly author of “Ten Days in a Mad-House”. Bly was not only considered an author but she was considered a reporter and a detective as well. Bly does not fit the conventions of her time, she was a thrill-seeker. When Bly was younger her father died and her mother remarried to a cruel man that became her stepfather. Her mother and brother haggled for money and ended up in court – Bly had to provide financial support to them. But Bly had her own financial troubles, she owned a steel barrel manufacturing company but had many legal battles because she was in bankruptcy. In regards to Bly’s love life – there is not much information (Kroger, 280).  Bly was an important figure head during this time period because she took on a huge challenge – something that nobody else would ever even imagine doing. She committed herself into a mental institution with no grantee of being released. Bly put herself directly into the field with no plan of escape – all she had was hope that one day she would get out. Bly was extremely lucky and ten days after her admittance she was released. She went against all traditions of her time and put her life at risk in order to get an inside look of an insane asylum. She was an adventurer and an inspiration to all women. She demonstrates what is considered to be stunt journalism. She did plenty of investigative work that brought a whole new perspective on insane asylums. The information Kroger provides changes the perspective on the narrative of the story because it gives a more holistic view of the author, Nellie Bly. It is important to know this specific cultural background when reading and interpreting the story because when knowledgeable about an author’s life it changes the way the reader views the text. Nellie Bly represented women’s empowerment and daredevil techniques with her research.

T. Szasz argues in the journal, “Idiots, Infants, and the Insane”, that instead of improving and building more psychiatric facilities, it would be more efficient if doctors cut down on the number of people they diagnose as mentally ill. Those committed involuntarily to treatment are typically looked upon as incompetent even though they are indeed competent. Because of the amount of people being misdiagnosed as mentally ill they are receiving treatment that is not necessary or crucial to their overall health. Overtime, societies perceptions of the mentally ill has drastically changed. The previous view on mental illness were that those having depression and anxiety were considered unstable and crazy. However, as society evolved it changed to a more compassionate view, now people emphasize with those that suffer with mental illnesses and do not ostracize them to insane asylums. In the past, those labeled as mentally ill were not allowed to care for themselves - their families were required too. If their families were unable to do so then the patient would remain in the insane asylum. Many of the patients were committed by their family members, typically, the women would be committed by their spouse. As mental illness became more prominent in society, researchers found that mental illness was an uncontrollable disease of the brain. Now, society is more understanding towards the mentally ill and are willing to help. Mental illness is accepted more wide stream across the world and people are more open about discussion on the topic because they are educated on it. Szasz argues that the only goal society should have in regards to mental health care is to decrease the number of person being treated as mentally ill. However, more mental health services are being built and becoming available to the public. This goal can’t be attained unless the ideas that someone ‘has’ a mental illness and mental illness is a disease are removed. The research provided by this journal supports the argument that many patients were being misdiagnosed as mentally insane and were treated as unfit. This is evident by the story, “Ten Days in a Mad-House” because majority of the women were not actually mentally ill. This changes the perspective on the narrative of the story because if those that were truly insane received the help necessary they would have a higher probability of living a healthier life. If the number of people being treated as mentally insane cut down, then the doctors would be able to focus on those that actually needed the treatment. And the people that were wrongfully committed to the insane asylums would be able to live freely once again.

John W. Fox claims that men have a lower chance of becoming mentally ill than women in his journal, “Gove’s Specific Sex-Role Theory of Mental Illness: A Research Note”. His research found that women are more prone to develop mental illness such as depression if they are married. Women of any other marital status have an equal likelihood with men of developing a mental illness. This evidence is supported by Nellie Bly’s story, “Ten Days in a Mad-House” because in her story among the patients admitted to the insane asylum they were for the most part women. The information provided by the research changes the perspective on the narrative of the story because the bulk of the women in the story were married and committed to the mental institution by their spouses. Back then, it was the norm for men to be the power figures in the household and they had the power to involuntarily commit their wives to a mental hospital if and when they wanted to do so. Males were able to deem their wives unfit to take care of themselves and their children. Females were considered insane if they were experiencing anxiety, general depression, and post-partum depression. It is important to know this specific historical background when reading and interpreting the story because when the results of the research claimed married women were more likely to experience depression there was no astonishment. Bly shows a feminist view about women’s rights in her story, “Ten Days in a Mad-House”. The women in her story and during the nineteenth century time period were seemingly experiencing depression because they were living in a male dominant society and high standards were expected of them. In reality, they might not have wanted to fulfill the gender roles of a housewives and a working husband that were given to them but they felt inclined to do so because the pressure put on by their spouses. It is important to know this specific cultural background when reading and interpreting the story because it was the norm to be a house wife and if the woman didn’t live up to that expectation then she was an outcast. Many of these wives were most likely unhappy with their marriages and it caused them depression because they did not want to live up to the expectations and conform to the roles they were given by society. These women were lost and trying to find themselves but along the way they endured a lot of different emotions that may have caused them to become depressed. Because of this, they were punished and wrongfully admitted into insane asylums. 

In the journal, “The Linear Plan for Insane Asylums in the United States before 1866” Carla Yanni provides information about psychiatrists in the nineteenth-century. She argues that they believed about 80 percent of insanity cases were curable if treated early on, outside of a home setting, and in carefully planned and built structures (Yanni,29). In this journal, Carla Yanni argues that psychiatrist believed the structure of a building was essential to the patients well-being. She claims it is “one of the most powerful tools for the treatment of insanity” (Yanni, 29). The research provided in this journal changes the perspective on the narrative of the story because all the women in “Ten Days in a Mad-House” were living in a mental institution and were receiving treatment outside of their homes. Most of the women didn’t belong there and in reality it was harmful to their health. On the contrary, if a patient genuinely suffers from intense mental disorders and because of it they are incapable of going through the simple functions of daily life then a mental institution would absolutely be beneficial to their health. They were not receiving treatment from home - they were in a mental institution where the doctors legitimately believed being there would help them and they would get better. It is important to know this specific historical background when reading the story because this journal argues that “architecture shapes behavior” and was anticipated to provide a solution and cure mental disease (Yanni, 29). The women in “Ten Days in a Mad-House” were not legitimately insane and they were completely adequate to take care of themselves. They were fully capable of living life to a normal degree even though they struggled with forms of depression and anxiety. Today, those things are exceptionally common- basically everyone experiences them at some point in their lives. But back then, it was not as common so they didn’t know what to do and just began committing people to the asylums. There is a difference between struggling with a mental disorder and it completely handicapping a person from living their life. For example, in the story the women with depression were capable of taking care of themselves but those that were hallucinating and hearing voices probably needed to be in the mental hospital to receive treatment. However, a lot of the times being in the mental hospital did cause people to go even crazier.  

All four of these journals give the reader more information and a stronger awareness about insane asylums and the mentally ill. These journals relate to Nellie Bly’s story, “Ten Days in a Mad-House” and help further support the point she is trying to get across - that not all that are committed are legitimately insane. All these journals add a different perspective when reading her story, they provide research and further knowledge on the subject of mental illness. With the information the research provided by these journals many arguments are made. The research defiantly changes the perspective on the narrative of the story. Knowing specific historical or cultural backgrounds while reading the story is important as well. In her story, Nellie Bly demonstrates that she is a daredevil and she fights for what she believes in and gives other women the courage to do the same. 
