Throughout history many literary pieces have been created and literature constantly evolves based on the time period. Not only does history shape particular texts but cultural contexts do as well. The time period and culture does not only affect the style and manner of the writing, but also what the writing is about. Most literature reflects certain historical events or periods that give the author’s story credibility and further his or her argument. “The Yellow Wallpaper” needs historical context to help enhance and explain the message referring to women’s rights and mental health. 

In the journal, “Lunacy in the 19th Century: Women’s Admission to Asylums in United States of America,” authors Katherine Pouba and Ashley Tianen discuss women’s rights regarding their own mental health. The article focuses on the admission to asylums and how women did not officially get a choice in how their lives were handled. They state that “Between the years of 1850-1900, women were placed in mental institutions for behaving in ways that male society did not agree with. Women during this time period had minimal rights, even concerning their own mental health” (Pouba and Tianen 95). Women were even considered to be insane because of their menstrual cycles. Men had complete say on whether or their wives needed to be admitted to an asylum. Furthermore, Pouba and Tianen write: 

Examples are the status of women concerning their roles in marriage and employment. Women’s roles in these areas were minimal and concrete, leading to a second-rate position in society compared to men…Important life decisions including admittance to an asylum were decided by a husband, brother, or male friend. Occasionally, men’s societal expectations of how women should act did not coincide with how some women acted (Pouba and Tianen 95). 

According to these women and numerous other sources, the overall choice on whether or not she was admitted to an asylum for women was non-existent during this time period. Women were subjected to unfair treatment regarding their rights, and it drove them even crazier. Men were in complete control. 

Charlotte Perkins Gilman wrote “The Yellow Wallpaper” about a woman who was sick and experiencing anxiety and depression. The entire story is the morose time period in the woman’s life where she is subjected to judgment by the men in her life. The woman is placed in a room in a peaceful home in hopes of healing. However, the room she is placed in has an eerie yellow wallpaper. At first, she hates it but as she begins to study the paper more closely she sees much more than just the yellow pattern. Throughout her days at the house she just stares at the “repellent, almost revolting wallpaper” (Gilman 301). The man she is within the story practically forces her to stay in the room, which again shows how women were not able to make their own choices. Women in the nineteenth century were expected to work below men and do all of the so called “dirty work.” They were needed to cook, clean, and stay home most of the day. Throughout this time period people who were considered to be going against the grain or going against what society saw as normal or traditional were patronized. Therefore, anyone, especially women, who acted a little differently were immediately criticized and chastised. For example, in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the woman was stuck in a room for weeks with nothing but a pen and some paper to write her feelings. She was shut out from the rest of society, even further. Her husband in the story failed to realize that her solitude was what drove her mad in the first place. 

Not only does the knowledge of women’s rights shape the text but also the study of depression. Wichita State University came out with a study on women with depression and postpartum depression. Mosack and Shore conducted a study on postpartum depression on women. Unlike Pouba and Tianen’s article, this one doesn't focus on women in the nineteenth century; however, it reveals the first-time women’s mental health was studied and tested. Women felt incredible social pressures such as having to be perfect for their male partners to keep their image and prestige during the nineteenth century which could not only affect their health but also cause more health problems. The most important section of Mosack and Shores article is the postpartum depression screening. Although the woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” did not just have a child, this article is significant because it explains how depression affects women’s overall health. The study goes deep into specific problems women have endured throughout their time. In “The Yellow Wallpaper” the main female character is almost scrutinized for her depression, because no one understands what is going on in her head. She is placed in a room in and is advised not to write because it isn't “good” for her. However, she of all people, knows how to handle the issue at hand. Postpartum depression is extremely common among women in not only past time but today as well. This article studies women’s mental health relating to pre-childbirth and post-childbirth, something the majority of women go through.“Depression is a brain disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.” Depression can be endured by any kind of person in any place or time, and it is crucial to understand the disease and its effects in order to understand “The Yellow Wallpaper”. These specific articles shape the reading and understanding of “The Yellow Wallpaper”. Without the knowledge that these articles provide, a reader deprives themselves of understanding the true deep-rooted struggles of women during this time period. Historical context matters because without the truth of science regarding women’s mental health and women’s rights during the nineteenth century the story would have no credibility, and the example of the women going insane may have seemed like a mystery. Authors like Mosack and Shore who convey how important the studies of women’s health shed a light along with many other researchers on the extreme situations in women’s health. Similarly, authors Pouba and Tienan demonstrate how imperative it is to understand women’s rights when reading historical literature. Without knowing the causes and effects of depression the literature may not be fully understood how the author intended it to be. In every story, there is an audience and an author. If the audience fails to understand the background of where the author is writing from and why, then they truly gain no understanding from the story. When reading literature from different time periods it is crucial to read into the historical context and culture, to gain a better understanding so that one may better the world today. 

 