The world as we know it today is shaped and modeled by its history. The events and movements that shape society have been documented so that people today may learn and understand the building blocks that shape our world. While tradition certainly determines certain practices in our society, much of it has also been determined by change. The history of women in our society has shaped their rights and how they are viewed in society today. By looking at “The Yellow Wallpaper” in terms of healthcare centers and gender roles along with their relationship with rest cure, we can see that gender inequality and mental illness has had a significant impact on women. This is important because gender inequality and mental illness during this time determined women’s’ roles in society. An article reads, “That is, unlike Monopoly, gender operations under patriarchy mean that the oppression of women is especially acute, endangering their voices, spirits, health, safety, and economic and emotional security”, (Logan, 643). Gender inequality, which gave way to mental illness, was a very real issue during this time period. According to another source, “Throughout American history, male/female has defined an enduring binary embodied in access to jobs, income, and wealth” (Fader, 2). Instead of having individuality and strength, women were viewed as inferior and submissive. This ultimately led to widespread mental illness among women, which in turn led to the rest cure.

“The Yellow Wallpaper” was written by American author Charlotte Perkins Gilman and was first published in January of 1892. The work focuses on women’s health and women’s status from the late nineteenth century until well into the twentieth century. This was also the time period of rest cure. Rest cure was a common “treatment” that was developed by Silas Weir Mitchell in the 1800s as a “cure” for women’s mental health issues. During this time, men did not believe in mental illness, especially in women. In fact, the majority of society was not aware of mental illness at all, so there was little or poor treatment for mental illness. Rest cure arose as a way to cure women who claimed to be sick, according to men. This treatment involved isolation and bed rest for several weeks. It was believed that women needed to be isolated from family and friends in order to find peace. Rest cure also involved bed rest, where women were expected to stay unless otherwise ordered by their husbands. In extreme cases, some women were not able to read, write or even talk. Men did not want women to be able to learn or to have any power, so they attempted to shield them from obtaining any knowledge. It can be concluded that this treatment may have contributed even more to some women’s mental illness.

“The Yellow Wallpaper” gives readers today insight into rest cure and how it affected women during this time period. Gilman herself had experienced the rest cure, so this story gives readers a realistic perspective into the rest cure. “The Yellow Wallpaper” tells a story of a woman and her husband that have just had a baby. The woman lives with mental illness, despite her authoritative husband assuring her that nothing is wrong. The woman feels hopeless and is constantly submissive to her husband. Her husband, John, does not allow the woman to read or write. This limited the woman’s self-expression and inhibited individuality as well. Despite this, the woman kept a journal and hid it from her husband. It was her only form of expression, and the woman documented her emotions in the journal while she was confined in a room. The woman was lonely and began having hallucinations that were in the yellow wallpaper. Isolation and inferiority ultimately drove the woman insane. 

There were several features of rest cure that were problematic. The first major feature of rest cure that was mishandled was the forced isolation of the patient. A patient in rest cure was confined to their own room and shunned from the rest of society. They had little contact with family, friends and people in general. Although doctors believed that this was the best way to help women cope with their mental illnesses, it was very mishandled and led to further consequences. Mitchell believed that this was the best way to deal with patients with claimed mental illness. Mitchell strove for an atmosphere of “order and control” that would serve as “moral medication” for coddled or selfish invalids, (Stiles, 1).  Typically, the patient was not allowed to read, write, sew, feed herself, or have contact with friends or family. She had to lie down in bed for six weeks to two months, (Stiles, 1). However, many women in several different cases proved that this was not the case. In “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the woman also struggles with isolation and it ultimately becomes problematic. The woman talks about how she does not like the room at all. She says, “for the windows are barred for little children, and there are rings and things in the walls”, (Gilman, 301). Although the bars on the windows were part of an old nursery, according to the women, they also symbolize the women’s feeling of being trapped and restrained. The bars represent the limitations on her freedom. The woman also writes about how John is away all day and even some nights, which contributes to her loneliness. The woman writes, “I cry at nothing, and cry most of the time. Of course I don’t when John is here, or anybody else, but when I am alone.” (Gilman, 304). This statement proves that the feature of isolation in rest cure was only more detrimental to a patient’s health. The loneliness only contributed to his or her depression.

Another feature of rest cure that was problematic was the inability of patients to read, write or even talk. Patients, especially women, were not allowed to read or write. In some asylums, talking was not allowed either. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a short story that is compromised of the woman’s hidden journal. The woman’s husband did not allow her to read or write, which limited her self-expression. As a result, her condition became even worse and it ultimately drove her insane because she was not able to learn or express any form of individuality. The woman writes, “There comes John, and I must put this away- he hates to have me write a word.” (Gilman, 301). Later on, she says, “I think sometimes that if I were only well enough to write a little it would relieve the press of ideas and rest me.” These quotes from the woman in the story reveals that she may have felt better if only she was able to express herself and to feel as if she had knowledge and purpose. 

Another feature that proved to be problematic in relation to rest cure and this time period in general was gender inequality. Gender inequality is a proven theme in “The Yellow Wallpaper” and throughout the twentieth century as well. Women had little rights during this time and were expected to remain in domestic roles. Women were viewed as inferior to men and were expected to be obedient and submissive to their husbands. This created a sense of worthlessness in some women and contributed to their mental illnesses. The lack of rights and self-expression led to mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. Throughout “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the woman constantly wants freedom from her husband, John. He is obviously dominant in their relationship and makes all of the decisions, including his wife’s. Their entire relationship is defined by John and his decisions. The woman is expected to be obedient due to the way of life during this time period.

“The Yellow Wallpaper” is an important text that gives readers insight into the historical practice of rest cure. There was little knowledge of mental illness during this time period, and many of those affected were women. Rest cure was used to isolate and inhibit patients from being active members of society. Women’s rights were already limited during this time period, as they were seen as inferior to men. “The Yellow Wallpaper” is based on Charlotte Gilman’s personal experience with rest cure. The short story includes themes of individuality and gender inequality. The themes are represented and depicted by the story of a woman and her husband. Readers are able to see how marriages and even gender roles operated during this historical time frame. The text helps readers to understand what women experienced during the time in which rest cure was practiced and how treatment affected their mental illness.
