A critical issue that humanity faces today is the failure to change expectations of established gender roles and gender stereotypes. Understanding this cultural issue along with its negative effects can help readers better analyze Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and the dangerous effects that it can have on women in society. By studying the effects that forced isolation and inactivity can have in the mental and physical health in humans, “The Yellow Wallpaper” and gender roles in society can better be understood. The lack of education, knowledge, and isolation cause women who are caught by these traditional gender roles and stereotypes to often times be abused which lead to developments of many mental disorders. Hopefully with more information to the dangers of predefined gender roles, and the effects on women’s health, these issues can be properly illuminated for a more civilized age. The traditional view on gender roles and stereotypes for women as seen in “The Yellow Wallpaper” can be understood with better clarity today, thanks to psychological studies and research. Classic views of gender roles, gender stereotypes, and their fulfillment can be harmful both mentally and physically to women. 

The first article that helps demonstrate the effects that traditional gender roles can have on women is titled “Consideration of the determents of women’s mental health in remote Australian mining towns.” The research that was conducted for this article was done in order to understand why women in remote mining towns suffered from many mental illnesses. Prior to research, many thought that moving to these open secluded environments caused women to devolved issues. The thinking was that the separation from families was the leading cause (Sharma and Rees). But after much research this was proven to be a false conclusion to the issue. Through the research conducted, the real issue discovered was the relationship between spouses in the mining community rather than geographical relocation. In these mining communities, the husband in the relationships had complete authority over the household including the lives of the spouse (Sharma and Rees). As seen in “The Yellow Wallpaper,” John the husband of the protagonist Jane, has complete and absolute authority over Jane, this shows how traditional gender roles operate. (Gilman 299) The relationships in the towns where found to be abusive in nature making the home a hostile environment. The study suggest that the men behaved in such a brut manner because of the long overworked hours in the mines which caused disconnect between the family and them. (Sharma and Rees)

The research also found that the husbands would force the women to remain isolated in the homes. Much like the belief in “The Yellow Wallpaper” women need to be left in indoors separated from others with little physical activates to recover their health, though in the in story it was more for health reasons rather than abuse. The women were also not allowed to communicate or even interact with people outside and even in the community unless the husband allowed it. (Sharma and Rees) This is a very clear parallel between the article and “The Yellow Wallpaper.” The protagonist in the story was forced to remain in isolation with no contact to the outside world, this lead to her eventual madness. It becomes even more clear when the study show that these women began to developed mental disorders such as extreme stress and extreme depression caused by “feelings of powerlessness.” (Sharma and Ress) The article finishes its study by saying that the best way to try a resolve the issues is by changing the ideologies of the male dominate society. For example, allowing the women to have access to positive social outlets in the community and through social media which was proven to be helpful. Another important issue to help in the communities is the reevaluating the work load of the mineworkers. By taking into consideration the work schedule the husbands can spend quality time at home with the family. (Sharma and Rees) Positive social interactions in the family was proven to help the mental health for all involved, contrary to the story. Isolation and separation only caused the marriage in the story to fall apart. This article shows that the traditional view of gender roles that can be seen in “The Yellow Wallpaper” are damaging not just to women but also to men. This understanding of gender roles helps reader understand “The Yellow Paper” along with the negative potential effects that can come from it.  (Sharma and Rees)

The next article that helps in understanding the dangerous of the traditional gender role mentality is titled “Gender Roles and Geographic Location as Predictors of Emotional Distress in Australian Women.” The research done in the article was done to try to understand the emotional stress that women where facing in both urban and rural environments. The study showed that geographical location has only a small effect on the women’s mental health. The leading factor in the emotional health was whether or not the women were trying to fulfill their established gender role. In the study conducted, women who tried to fill an assigned gender role of dependence and submissiveness showed high signs of distress, anxiety, depression, and stress. Many times sexual and physical abuse came from trying to fulfill these roles. (Bramston et al.) When reading “The Yellow Wallpaper” it can be clearly seen that Jane was trying to fulfill her role as a submissive and obedient wife. She has no options “what is one to do.” (Gilman 300) The study goes on to say that women allowed themselves to be in these situations. The established expectation in society to meet these roles caused this willingness to fill the role. It goes on to say that the community that these women lived in also expected them to fulfill these roles. Pressure, both from in the home and in the community led these women to continue to live in these emotionally toxic relationships and environments. (Bramston et al.) The research conducted in the article allows a reader to understand why the protagonist in “The Yellow Wallpaper” allowed herself to be confided to the room. She meets the people’s expectation of how a married woman should act, obedient and submissive to her husband. Jane often times just admits that “he is right” (Gilman 302) She goes along with her role of blind obedience. The fulfillment of the traditional gender role is very damaging to the mental health in females, as this article demonstrate. Readers can better understand why Jane would allow herself to be subjected to terrible treatment of isolation and solitude thanks to the article. Because of the established norm of gender roles of the time in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, the protagonist had no choice, which causes her eventual insanity. (Bramston et al.)

One of the most important facts about women in positions where they feel forced to meet expectations from gender roles, is that they have a lack of knowledge usually due to little education. The article titled “Socio-Economic and Gender Disadvantages Affecting Physic, Mental and Reproductive Health of Women in India” makes this issue very clear as a leading cause in keeping with traditional gender roles. Women in the study conducted are subjugated to extreme poverty. This leads to many drawbacks in their lives physically and mentally. The worst outcome is a lack of an education. (Sarkar) Almost all the women in the community reached had no education, and were under much abuse many suffering from mental disorders. The lack of education also caused the women to have develop poor hygiene habits that had drastic effects on the women’s health. Many of these women do not know that a better life is available to them, because of this they continue to fulfill the role set for them, it’s what is expected of them. (Sarkar)

The women in the Indian communities that the research was conducted had no knowledge of basic human rights that they possessed. To them, the husband’s word was law and had to be fulfilled. This causes many women to be abused and remain oppressed in the communities. Mental health issues begin to arise drastically in many of these cases. Mental disorders such as anxiety and depression was very common among these women. (Sarkar) The women were also forced into isolation, only allowed to interact with society if the husband allows for it. This leads to even more mental disorders and health issues. But all this goes back to the women not having a basic education of what is truly available to them. With an education these women could potentially rise up and change the gender roles, causing the communities to develop healthy relationships and healthy hygiene habits. But, instead they are forced to participate in fulfilling the established gender roles that has been placed before them in the community removing any chance for an education. (Sarkar) 

In “The Yellow Wallpaper” this lack of knowledge and fulfillment of the established gender role can be seen. She believes without hesitation what she is told about her disease, saying things like “I am glad my case is not serious.” (Gilman 301) The protagonist does not know that being isolated is damaging to her, yet she allows herself to be placed in that position. She believes that this is the only treatment for illness, because that is what she is told. The people around her have made it clear that she is to obey. Much like the women in the Indian society, the women in “The Yellow Wallpaper” time period were not expected to have an education, rather they were expected to take care of the family and obey the husband. Gilman writes “he hates to have me write a word” (Gilman 301), showing women were discouraged to preform ant form of mental tasks. The damaging effects of no education can be seen in the community and in the story. In the end, being isolated with no formal education caused Jane to become deranged and lose her sanity. Tradition drove her to madness. (Sarkar)

In all the previous articles isolation has played an important factor in the health of women. In every case isolation has had negative effects on the mental health of women who tried to meet the traditional gender roles placed on them. “Exercise in Isolation- A Countermeasure for Electrocortical, Mental and Cognitive Impairments” is an article written to help understand the damaging effects that isolation has on the human body when exposed to long periods of isolation. The experiments were conducted with volunteers to determine the effects that isolation and inactivity had on the human body. The goal of the experiment was to help determine helpful habits astronauts could use in long periods of isolation in space missions. (Abeln et al.) In the experiment, volunteers were isolated for an eight-month period. The volunteers were then tested in six week intervals to determine how mental and physical health was being effected. Half of the volunteers were allowed to do physical activities if they wished to do so. The results showed that the volunteers who remained in isolation with no physical activity suffered drastic mood changes, becoming unmotivated and unperceptive. Their cognitive skills suffered tremendously as well. But those who decided to perform voluntary physical activates showed healthy signed in both physical health and cognitive skills. Physical activity was found to be extremely healthy for the volunteers and caused less mental damage from the isolation. (Abeln et al.) The experiment concluded by saying that physical activity will most-likely be implement for astronauts that must serve in long-term periods isolation, because of the positive effects it has in the human body both physically and psychologically. (Abeln et al.)  In “The Yellow Wallpaper” Jane was proscribed “bed rest” a common remedy given to women at the time. The author Charlotte Perkins was one such recipient of “best rest” treatment. It involved long periods of solitude and isolation where no work and no mental activity should be done. As the experiment in the article shows this form of rest is very counter-productive, causing much more harm than good. The best way to remain health is with physical activities and social interactions. This method was the product of gender stereotypes that were placed on women. The men, at the time that bed rest ideology existed, had a different type of remedy. Often times they would be exposed to adventures in nature with others and participate in logical conversation and intelligent discussions. Teddy Roosevelt was a recipient of this type of treatment and it proved very effective to the betterment of his health. With accordance to the experiment the positive effects of socializing and exercising are quite obvious. But because of the ideas of gender and gender stereotypes women were force to have treatments that where damaging. This article proves that the established effects of gender roles, specifically forced isolation, have harmful effects on women. By understanding theses effects it becomes very clear why the protagonist came to suffer from a mental breakdown. She was forced into isolation and was not allowed to think for herself. She was locked in a room with the inability to escape the situation. The slow progression to insanity is a clear result of failure to notice the dangers that traditional gender roles can cause. (Abeln et al.) 

“The Yellow Wallpaper” can be a difficult story to understand. Without much research and little information, the protagonist’s fall to madness seems unreasonable and improvable. But after reading these articles and researching the effects that gender roles can have on the human mind it becomes reality. The dangers of the established norm can lead to many mental health issues and unhealthy relationships. Separation and isolation from society causes much harm psychological. This helps readers understand why the position that Jane was placed is extremely dangerous. Another dangerous aspect of traditional gender roles is in the communities’ expectation. They expect one to full commit to the established status quo. This aspect of gender roles can clearly be seen in “The Yellow Wallpaper” through how submissive and obedient the Jane is to her husband; it is what is expected of her. No education leads to even further disadvantages. Women, with no education, find themselves in situation that harmful to them. Many times due lack of knowledge they stay in abusive and painful environment. In many of these cases women are often time isolated and forced away from any social interactions with others. This has extremely damaging effects on the mental health of women. Lack of mental activity and isolation forces many mental disorders, such as depression, anxiety, stress, etc. This is the greatest lens to clarify “The Yellow Wallpaper.” When first read the story is difficult to understand and often times leaves the reader in confusion. But after taking all the above into consideration it becomes clear. Jane was once a health person. But the established norm for women meant that her treatment had to be isolation. Her lack of knowledge was also due to the times when women were discouraged to developed an education. These factors lead to her eventual madness. By looking at how gender roles can negative affect the human mind and society it becomes clear how it effects Charlotte Perkins’ “The Yellow Wallpaper.” 
