All throughout the history of the United States of America, gender roles have been a struggle and it is still being fought in this day in age. The years within the nineteenth century, marked various vital events throughout the history of this large country. But during this time, women living in the United States had to fight for what they believed in day in and day out. Furthermore, women were thought to be inferior and weak compared to men and had their lives predestined varying from what their husband, or father would want them to do. Not only were they viewed as physically weak, but their minds were also considered less than a man’s. This thought and idea effect not only their self-confidence, but also had an effect on their ability to live a normal life outside of their own home and nonetheless, have a job. It is seen that women during this time had rather large expectations placed upon them. If they did not fit the “ideal” characteristics, personality, or role then there were serious consequences. In the nineteenth century, there is a lot of evidence supporting women’s admission to mental asylums. Many historians and authors have different opinions about this, but it is safe to say that they all agree on the same concept. Reasons to being admitted to an institution varied but there are two main concepts that many agree on. If a woman did not have the perfect genetic and biological makeup and did not fit their role of being the perfect wife and mother, they were seen as ill. In addition, women’s reproductive systems were looked down upon but it is quite ironic due to the fact that their “main purpose” in life was to bear children. During this oppressive and patriarchal society for women during nineteenth century America, medical habits and treatments actually reproduced social conceptions of women as inferior which is seen through short stories and in scholarly journals.  

“The Yellow Wallpaper” was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in the nineteenth century. The story is told by a first person perspective, the narrator is the woman who is forced into an isolated, empty room covered in yellow wallpaper. She is ultimately placed in this room under her husband, John’s supervision because he is also a physician. He diagnoses her with “temporary nervous depression” and says that this isolation will cure her. It is through close reading, that she just had a child, therefore it is now inferred that she suffers from post-partum depression. Throughout the entire text, it is seen that the narrator is viewed as inferior by everyone but especially her husband. She places all of her hope into John and believes that he is doing what is best for her, when in reality it is making it worse. One example of this is when the narrator states, “John is a physician, and perhaps- (I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind)-perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster” (Gilman, 299). This sentence explains it all, she wants to believe that her husband is doing what is best for her but she does indeed have hesitations. In the nineteenth century, society did not allow for a woman to question her husband. This quote is a prime example of a woman, wanting to question authority but she cannot. Throughout the entire text, there is an obvious stigma between women’s versus men’s emotions. In the outset of the story, the narrator does not seem to be “insane” but she slowly starts deteriorating. In the middle of the story, she takes a turn for the worse. It is now seen that, anyone who has slight depression and or psychological disorder should never be isolated therefore she is bound to have taken this slight turn. In addition, it is also known that isolation treatment was only prescribed to women, never men. 

The treatment that is prescribed to the narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a mirrored image of the social conceptions of women during that time period. She is treated as inferior; she is unable to fend for herself or question what she is being prescribed. The narrator states, “John laughs at me, of course, but one expects that in marriage” (Gilman, 299). This is just one example of the way that women were not taken seriously, in all aspects of life.  They were viewed as products of their husbands. One thing interesting in the short story, is that John kept leading the narrator on into believing that the treatment was going to work. He ultimately kept tricking her and messing with her mind. As stated prior, at first it seems like she has post-partum depression but then she slowly starts to decline. Many believe, this is due to her isolation and treatment. 

Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story is closely related to the history behind women in the nineteenth century through the medical and biological terms and also their admittance to mental asylums. Carroll Smith-Rosenberg and Charles Rosenberg argue that during this time people believed that social characteristics of an ideal Victorian women are rooted in a women’s biology. It was also during the nineteenth century that women started to pose questions about their assigned roles because of their constricted place in society. These social role definitions of a women being meek, showing affection and nurturance and a man being controlling, powerful, smart exist purely for the fact that one may conform or rebel against the assigned role and therefore this is the period that a women did indeed start rebelling. It is in Carroll-Smith Rosenberg and Charles Rosenberg’s article titled, “The Female Animal: Medical and Biological Views of Woman and Her Role in Nineteenth-Century America” that expresses the differences in biology of a woman versus a man. Yes, just like their social characteristics of a women were viewed as inferior but also their biological makeup women are typically smaller than a man. During this time, it is seen that physicians saw women as a product and prisoner of their reproductive systems which means that she is fully dependent of a male. Rosenberg explains, “Woman was thus peculiarly the creature of her internal organs, of tidal forces she could not consciously control. Ovulation, the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy even sexual desire itself were determined by internal physiological processes beyond the control or even the awareness of her conscious volition. All women were prisoners of the cyclical aspects of their bodies…All shapes her personality, her social role, her intellectual abilities and limitations” (Rosenberg 336). This quote truly explains the reason why women were looked down upon due to their genetic makeup. All of their biological and physiological ailments were linked backed to their reproductive organs. If anything was not in alinement-her organs were the cause and blame. Any pain or complaint that a women had was based upon her menstrual cycle. Therefore, women were socially and medically viewed as inferior. There was this cyclical cycle that could not be broken of viewing women as less. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the narrator had to place all of her trust to her husband for her “nervous condition”. It is quite ironic that she just gave birth and now she is experiencing psychological issues. The isolation that is placed upon the narrator, correlates with the social conception of a women being inferior to men. 

Katherine Pouba and Ashley Tianen wrote a scholarly article titled, “Lunacy in the 19th Century: Women’s Admission to Asylums in United States of America” in which it also agrees with the inferiority of women and their admission into these kinds of institutions. They explain the idea of a second rate position compared to men and the fact that their admittance was decided by their husband, brother or a male friend. The ultimate goal for a woman was to get married and to reproduce. Within this idea, males were more likely to marry for their own gratification and for the fact that women could also reproduce. This is directly related to the interpretation of “The Yellow Wallpaper” because of the way the narrator gained admittance to that room. It is seen that they were not quite sure what was truly wrong with her and instead, just put a label on her. It is through their research that they also found that patients who were admitted for reproductive organ concerns had problems with these type of things for several months before admittance. The male outlook on women’s cycles were negative even though their whole purpose was to produce children. They look at various statistics that are interesting; many of their diagnoses do not align with the woman’s treatment. It is safe to say, that many physicians labeled them as having these disorders, when in all actuality, they did not have that disorder or illness 

Both of these scholarly historical texts, help shape the interpretation of “The Yellow Wallpaper.”  The transparency of what Charlotte Perkins Gilman is trying to say is based off of the history and claims that men thought they were doing what was right for the women’s biological and social needs. The two historical texts really help further explain the personal narrative explain in “The Yellow Wallpaper.”  During the nineteenth century, America was going through a time full of key events for this country. It was also during this time, that women started to question their rights and movements started to begin. Without even knowing, physicians and men alike were reproducing social conceptions of women through their medical influences, as displayed in the short story. 
