The rest cure, illustrated by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in The Yellow Wallpaper, was a tactic for treating mentally ill women throughout the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. This method was created by Dr. Silas Weir Mitchell, as a treatment for women diagnosed with anxiety problems and neurasthenia. This so called “cure”, entailed mentally ill women to be put on bed rest, and to “live as domestic of a life as possible” (Gilman 32). Not only was this practice detrimental to the patient’s health, but was also representative of women’s role in society during this time. While mentally ill women were told to rest, men with the same disorder were instructed to travel west, and partake in numerous physical activities. This method was applied with hopes of uplifting the patient’s self-confidence and personal motivation. Gilman was aware of the trauma the rest cure had  on her mind, and took action by rebelling against this dreadful practice. She may have been unaware at the time, but her rebellious nature, and the decision to write, brought her efforts a great deal of publicity throughout the women’s equality movement. The Yellow Wallpaper has made its way through history, evolving into a revolutionary piece of literature for women’s equality, while enhancing the treatment for all women suffering from mental illness.

In the letter titled, “Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper” Gilman elaborates on her hatred toward the rest cure, and the negative effects it can have on someone who has been prescribed the treatment. When The Yellow Wallpaper was originally published, pundits criticized the novel, stating, “It was enough to make anyone who reads it go mad” (Gilman 32). While there were many people who were not fond of the story, there were some who found her writing to be one of the best descriptions of incipient insanity. In the letter, Gilman shares her inspiration for The Yellow Wallpaper, by explaining what she withstood when she was prescribed the rest cure. By Gilman explicating the suffering she endured, her audience is able to see the effects of the rest cure from a first-hand source. This was powerful because it gave the public a perspective that finally differed from the countless male critics. Gilman’s impact through her writing was prominent, as she was able to describe the pain she encountered, while also expressing her outlook on the harsh treatment being prescribed to mentally ill women. 

The way in which Gilman depicts the events during her sickness reaches the reader both emotionally and ethically. This writing was published in the heart of the women’s suffrage era, making it crucial for Gilman to grasp her audience with personal connections and experiences from her own life. By doing so, Gilman was able to connect with her audience, allowing them to empathize with her, as if they were experiencing the rest cure for themselves. 

An emotional correlation that is evident in The Yellow Wallpaper, is how Gilman portrays Dr. Weir Mitchell as the character’s husband and physician. Besides her own mind, the character’s spouse was her greatest enemy. After putting his wife on the rest cure, he monitored her frequently, making sure she was not living an intellectual life. The connection ties into Gilman’s life, due to the fact that the character’s husband should be her most trusted, and supportive figure. Similar to a husband, when in the hands of a doctor, the patient needs to be able to trust his or her physician. Gilman put her well-being in the hands of Dr. Weir Mitchell, and he wrongly prescribed her a method that amplified her symptoms. By Gilman not being able to trust her physician, she deliberately portrays Dr. Weir Mitchell as the husband in The Yellow Wallpaper, unveiling her distrust toward him, along with the failure of his remedies.

The greatest ethical appeal within The Yellow Wallpaper, is Gilman’s will to write the story while under such confined treatment. Though she was advised to live a non-intellectual life, Gilman knew that this would only hurt herself. Multiple times throughout the character’s sickness, Gilman exemplifies the fact that writing while under the rest cure, can cause severe anguish and fatigue. Unfortunately for Gilman, the more she wrote, the worse she felt. With this being said, Gilman was a firm believer that what does not kill you, will only make you stronger. This outlook not only brought her a profound story, but the freedom to make the choices that would benefit her. By Gilman choosing to persevere and write, she shows her audience the commitment to her work, and the obligation she felt, to fight for her beliefs. 

Home life and family structure can tell a great deal about the path one will choose for their future. In an excerpt about Gilman, published in The Harcourt Brace Casebook Series in Literature, Stephen R. Mandell discusses the childhood and structure she experienced early in life. As a child, Gilman’s mother decided to teach her the harshness of society. The mother refused to hug or kiss Gilman, showing her daughter minimal affection. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Gilman’s father could not support his wife and daughter, and decided to walk out on his family, when Gilman was only thirteen years old. Obstacles such as these are not easy to overcome, and can have a detrimental effect on the mental health of the person experiencing them. With this being said, Gilman connects these early life experiences with the anxiety problems she suffered later in life. Emotional support, and having loved ones, is something that Gilman’s mother took for granted. As a result of this non affectionate relationship, Gilman was the one who paid the price. However, being the type of person Gilman is, she claims these youthful challenges also taught her independence of the mind; something that would later lead to some of her most satisfying professional successes. After such an unhappy childhood, Gilman wanted to make her life worth living, and chose to dedicate her time fighting for the rights of women.  Even though Gilman tied these events to her mental illness, the self-reliance she learned from her childhood, was applied throughout her work in later years. While these childhood experiences were not easy on Gilman, they brought her a sense of independence, and the rest is history. 

As a woman in the early 1900’s, Gilman was inevitably a victim of gender inequality. During this time, the majority of women stayed at home and lived off their spouse. Society simply looked at women as the weaker sex, and this is a direct correlation as to why mentally ill women were told to go on bed rest. Within the guidelines of this “cure”, Gilman was specifically instructed to “have but two hours of intellectual life a day” and “never to touch a pen, brush, or pencil again” (Gilman 32). After months of following orders, Gilman had enough, and began doing what she was born to do; write. She was aware that this cure was only prolonging her symptoms, and as a result, began writing The Yellow Wallpaper. While some critics ensure that reading the story will claim your sanity, Gilman claims that the story was written to do just the opposite, “not to drive people crazy, but to save people from being driven crazy, and it worked.” (Gilman 33). While she wanted it be known that Dr. Weir Mitchell’s procedures were faulty, what she truly cared about was preventing women from having to deal with the harmful treatment she sustained. 

After many months of being on bed rest, Gilman decided to take control of her life, by freeing her mind from this mental burden. She found the rest cure harmful to her well-being, and decided to leave her husband to visit friends in California. Gilman departed, due to the realization that her life was on a downward route, with no signs of improvement. Living with these mental health issues was dreadful, and Gilman took the approach that anything she could do to get better, should be done. After her time in California, Gilman was healed from her illness, and finally found the inner peace she was looking for. The decision to leave home brought Gilman plenty of cruel publicity, but the only thing Gilman was focused on was her fresh mind and new life. After so much of this negative propaganda, Gilman wanted it to be known that she was only trying to do what was best for herself. Within recent years after her recovery, Gilman published another extremely significant writing, Women and Economics. From here on out, Gilman devoted her life to becoming a women rights activist; serving as a backbone for the gender equality movement. 

Gilman’s passion for women’s equality was shown in grand fashion all throughout her life. She believed in equality for all, and encouraged women of all ages to seek education, and the determination to work in any field they may choose. In 1935, after many years of her mind being restored, Gilman tragically took her own life. Many believe that Gilman took her life as a result of lifelong depression, or the breast cancer she had developed later in life. Conversely, in a note left for her daughter, Gilman states, “I chose this course not because of the breast cancer, but because I felt my capacity for service has ended.” (Gilman 33).  Even though her life ended in such a miserable manner, her impact on gender equality and improving medical treatment for women was groundbreaking. This note concisely and accurately represents Gilman’s outlook on life. She was someone who looked out for others, and took the positive out of any given situation. Her dedication to women’s equality, in her literature and in real life, makes Gilman not only an icon, but a hero for women across the country.

In the article, Women’s Suffrage in the Progressive Era, the role of women is portrayed in ways that relate to the flawed traditions of Dr. Weir Mitchell. During the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, women rights advocates were still trying to gain the right to vote, as well as economic and political equality. This article contains a study that shows, the number of women employed in the United States increased from 2.6 million to 7.8 million between the years 1890-1910. However, the majority of higher positions still belonged to men. In fact, in the year 1900, 60 percent of all working women were employed as domestic servants. Even with the increased number of employed females, women were still limited to working jobs from home. As a result, women were still looked at as the inferior sex, leaving men with the bulk of the power. Even though more women were being employed, gender oppression was still alive and an extremely prevalent issue during this period. 

For Gilman specifically, putting an end to women’s suffrage was the base of her work, as well as her life. She was able to have such a great influence on gender equality due to her dedication and relentlessness attitude toward the situation. As time progressed, so too did the equality for women. In 1920, the 19th amendment was put into effect, granting women the right to vote. While this was revolutionary for women, it also applied the values and customs our country was founded upon. Not only did it give women the right to vote, but also opened up the eyes of both genders, proving to men, that women would fight incessantly until they received equal treatment in all aspects of society. 

Though Gilman may not be alive to see it, her fight and passion for gender equality was nothing short of epic. Her selfless attitude, and ability to influence society through her work, inclined women everywhere to stand up for their rights. Over time, women began demanding equal treatment and their fight could not be matched. Fortunately, this country has made it to the point where gender will not determine one’s destiny. Instead, it is the level of commitment one devotes to being great in whatever they are passionate about. In fact, from a study taken this year, more women are educated than men, while also holding equal or higher positions in the work force. In the Rio Olympics, 61 more women earned medals than their male counterparts. Additionally, there are now 104 women in the U.S congress, compared to the 24 women that made up both the house and senate in 1983. This country has even made its way to having a women run for president, and whether Mrs. Clinton thought about it or not, she has Gilman to thank for the opportunity. The facts do not lie, concluding that women have made leaps and bounds toward the establishment of their place in society. 

Within the article titled, Putting the Rest cure to Rest-Again, the authors use scientific evidence to prove that women with mental health issues can exercise and partake in physical activities, within a controlled environment. The greatest benefit patients noticed under this practice, was an improvement of physical fitness, and a sense of confidence to partake in day to day actions. It is no coincidence that the results found from this study, were identical to the results from Dr. Weir Mitchell’s west cure. The only difference, being that women can undergo this treatment, just as well as men. While this method was found to be very effective, it must be taken with heavy precaution. Overworking the patient will have the same result as putting them on bed rest, and their symptoms will be prolonged. As a result, physicians suggest an in between practice, that requires working out on a schedule, and increasing the activities day by day. With this routine, doctors are able to adjust one’s treatment depending on the results from the previous day. Contrary to the rest cure, this method is effective because it helps the patient get on their feet and gives them the confidence to undergo daily exercise.  

The results of this study prove that women in Gilman’s era were put on the rest cure because of their position in society. Since women were looked at as the weaker sex, male physicians figured that they would not be able to handle the alternate cure that was specific to men. While some of the blame should be aimed at Dr. Weir Mitchell, the root of this epidemic should be accredited to society during this time. During this era, civilization knew very little about mental health issues. As if societies’ ignorance toward the disorder wasn’t bad enough, the role of women at this time added to the idea of creating of this discriminating treatment. Society simply did not know better, and figured these cures were suitable for each gender. The results from this study, state that women with neurasthenia can undergo physical exercise in order to heal. Gilman took this matter into her own hands, rebelling against the mistreatment through the power of literature. When The Yellow Wallpaper was published, humanity was given a wakeup call, letting everyone know that Gilman was prepared to fight for an end to this treatment, even if it meant sacrificing her reputation.

Gilman’s success is shown through where this country stands today. Gilman was fighting under the concept that everyone is created equal and no one’s potential should be limited by gender. Thankfully, this country is free from gender oppression and finally holds true to the values it was once founded upon. Though Gilman’s life ended in 1935, she was still able to see an improvement in what she was fighting for. If she were around today, Gilman would be overjoyed to see where women in society stand. Without limitations, women finally have the freedom to accomplish whatever they put their mind to. The Yellow Wallpaper and the work Gilman accomplished throughout her life, blossomed into a key component in the women’s equality movement, while abolishing the cruel practice that is Dr. Weir Mitchell’s killing cure.
